Burlington School’s Catering takes off with Pride
Burlington Primary School in New Malden appointed Pride Catering to provide a comprehensive choice menu lunch service. Pride won the 5-year contract for the 360 pupil school by demonstrating just how much emphasis they place on freshly prepared quality food. The contract was awarded in June 2005 which gave Pride just a couple of months to design and build a brand new kitchen before the new term started!

Barbara Chevis, Headteacher at Burlington sent a questionnaire to all parents and on the basis of replies hoped that 150 pupils would sign up for the new meal service. In the event, 163 signed up - now grown to 185.

“We appointed Pride because of their commitment to fresh food and nutritional menus. We liked their style and approach and have been delighted with the results. Our new kitchen, which Pride designed and installed, is a fantastic facility for the school.

Another benefit, apart from well fed and happy children, is the increase in free school meals. We had 13 when we had a sandwich lunch service, this has jumped to 30 and as a result the school will receive additional funding. We really are delighted”

Pride Catering provide a choice of two hot freshly prepared main Dishes of the Day, a comprehensive salad bar, a jacket potato with filling and hot and cold desserts. Tim Price, Director of Pride, explains the importance of offering pupils fresh and child-friendly food.

“We want to encourage children from the start of their very first school meal to eat healthily and we have been very impressed for instance, by the uptake for salads. Also, to make it easy and fun, our fresh fruits are all cut into small bite size pieces - fresh pineapple, raspberries and mandarin in segments have proved very popular.

Realistically, in the Primary School market we currently need around 62p per pupil to provide healthy eating and choice. At this level we can grow the service, give parents confidence in the quality of food provided thereby adding value to the School and in the case of Burlington, generate extra funding”