Contract Monitoring & Performance

The gap between what a caterer promises at tender and what is served eighteen months later can be wide. Monitoring closes that gap. It is not about catching people out. It keeps the contract you fought for alive, and gives both sides a structured, professional way to raise and resolve issues early.

A standard programme is built around termly visits, each followed by a written report to your leadership team. Across the year we track the things that matter: food quality and compliance, financial performance against budget, the delivery of tender commitments, and how the service feels to the pupils and staff who use it every day.

What’s included

• A monitoring programme agreed around your priorities and calendar
• Termly on-site visits, announced or unannounced as agreed
• Written report after every visit, with actions and owners
• Food safety and legislative compliance checks, including HACCP documentation
• Menu compliance against the School Food Standards
• Financial review covering trading against budget, tariffs and free school meal uptake
• Tracking of tender commitments, innovations and KPIs
• Year-end performance appraisal and a development plan for the year ahead

How it works

1. 01

   Baseline

   We agree what good looks like for your contract: the tender commitments, KPIs, budgets and standards the service will be measured against.

2. 02

   Termly visits

   Each visit covers the kitchen, the service, the paperwork and the numbers. I talk to the catering team, see the food served, and check compliance evidence rather than taking it on trust.

3. 03

   Report and actions

   You receive a plain-English report with a short list of actions, agreed with the caterer, each with an owner and a date. Progress is reviewed at the next visit.

4. 04

   Annual appraisal

   At year end the caterer presents their proposal for the coming year, covering menus, investment, pricing and training, and we hold it against the year's evidence before you commit.