The insights, gathered by food wholesaler and catering provider Creed Foodservice, shone a light on what solutions education caterers are seeking from their foodservice partners. Caterers are facing squeezed budgets, rising food prices, pressured serving times as well as increasing health and sustainability targets.
Emma Jukes, Creed’s education sector specialist, said: “There are over 9 million children in UK schools – up 88,000 since last year. Just under a quarter (22.5%) are eligible for free school meals. Schools will receive £2.41 for each Universal infant free school meal taken and the value of a standard free school meal is £2.47. With food prices soaring it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise budgets are being seriously squeezed.
“So much of the feedback we receive from schools is around the struggle to balance costs. The education sector needs our support more than ever in providing solutions that tick the boxes of taste, quality, health, are on-trend, quick to serve and are compliant with standards – whilst coming within the ever-important margins.”
Kitchen ’72, fondly named after the year Creed Foodservice was founded, taps into the street food and food-to-go market – set to be worth £23.5bn in 2022– offering grab & go marinated chicken food boxes.
Creed has trialled the new concept in various schools up and down the country, serving hundreds of students at lunch time. A student from one of the schools that trialled Kitchen ’72, commented: “The food was delicious. If this was served in a restaurant I’d mark it six out of five!”