ISS Facility Services Education has won a new five year catering contract to supply school meals to 66 schools, in the West Berkshire Authority. Around 4,000 meals will be served daily across the contract, which covers areas including Pangbourne, Thatcham, Newbury, Hungerford, Chieveley and Compton.
The contract started in July, with over 160 new recruits joining the ISS Facilities Services Education team, and sees the introduction of three initiatives to support the service:
Online payment
Parents will be able to pay for school lunches online: ISS Facilities Services Education has introduced a new online payment system, Cypad, to schools across the area.
The facility will allow parents to add funds to their child’s accounts, as well as pre-order meals. It will also enable them to see that their child has eaten a nutritionally balanced meal each day. The system is easy to use and has been employed to provide a quicker way for parents to manage their children’s school lunches.
‘Food for Life’ ethos
ISS Facilities Services Education will also be working with the Soil Association to introduce the ‘Food for Life’ ethos to the schools of West Berkshire. The Food for Life Catering Mark recognises food providers who serve fresh food as part of a reliable service.
West Berkshire schools will begin by working towards the Food for Life Bronze Catering Mark, which will see the schools offer a standard menu of nutritionally balanced lunches that encompass locally sourced free range and seasonal foods. 90% of the new menu will be cooked from fresh each day, using the best ingredients, giving the children a great tasting, healthy and sustainable hot lunch service.
‘Eat a Rainbow’ day
In October, West Berkshire primary schools will also have the opportunity to take part in ISS Facilities Services Education’s ‘Eat a Rainbow’ day, designed to show children the benefits of incorporating a variety of different foods into their diet. This is one of several educational schemes that ISS Facilities Services Education offer to the schools they serve.