DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF A COMPLETE PRIMARY SCHOOL KITCHEN FOR SURREY SCHOOL MEALS
Less known as a result of Jamie’s TV series was a drop in meal take-up as many parents discovered for the first time what their youngest and brightest might be having for lunch.
Hot meals are available in all but two Surrey schools and the county prides itself on exceeding the current government guidelines. “Nationally meal take up was 43%. In Surrey, it was 45% and we did experience a slight drop in line with a national trend following Jamie’s TV series,” says Jenny Pittam, Catering Services Manager, Four S – which works with Surrey Commercial Services to manage catering in nearly 80% of Surrey’s 411 schools.
The new kitchen at Chandler’s Field Primary – Catering Supervisor Shirley Maskall is on the right, with Cook Peggy Caley.
Surrey’s meal cost is £1.50 for Primary Schools and £1.55 for Secondary. There is no subsidy, no profit and the current goal for Surrey Commercial Services and Four S is to detail a strategy to continue the transformation of the meals service to meet new Government nutritional targets.
In secondary schools this will include a meal offer containing five sections – salad bar, jacket potatoes, pasta, sandwiches & baguettes and home cooking – already successfully introduced at Reigate Secondary.
Another key ingredient is ensuring facilities are up to standard.
Four school kitchens are fully refurbished each year and others are upgraded as required – Chandlers Field Primary School, West Molesey, Surrey, most recently receiving a full new kitchen for its 450 pupils, designed and installed by Hallmark Kitchens.
Jenny Pittam originally called upon Hallmark’s kitchen design expertise to produce three standard templates for 50, 100 and 300 pupils and Chandlers Field is the first of these to be implemented.
“Each kitchen is designed to last 20 years,” says Jenny Pittam. “Chandlers Field has been very successful and Hallmark is currently working on designing and installing three others.
“In my experience, Hallmark is the most professional company I have come across. They provide a standard of work Surrey has not seen before. If ever there is a problem they are straight onto it; they are on time, on budget and do what they say. I feel like their most important customer.”
FOUR S is unique for the school catering sector, being a joint venture company owned by Surrey CC and the VT Group (one of the largest education services organisations in the UK). Four S provides consultancy, advice, training and development, has an annual turnover of more than £17 million, over 350 staff and is the largest integrated support service in the UK.
