Foodservice & Best Value Reviews

Sometimes you do not need a tender. You need the truth. A foodservice review is a focused, independent examination of how your catering is really performing, whether it is delivered by a contractor or your own in-house team.

The review looks at the whole service: the money, the food, the people, the paperwork and the experience at the servery. You receive a clear written report that separates the urgent from the important, sets out realistic recommendations, and gives you the evidence to act, whether that means renegotiating, restructuring, investing or going to market.

What’s included

• On-site observation of the service in operation
• Financial analysis covering cost per meal, labour ratios, tariffs, subsidies and trading position
• Uptake analysis, including free school meal registration and take-up
• Food quality, menu and School Food Standards compliance
• Food safety and quality assurance procedures, including HACCP
• Staffing structures, skills and training
• Marketing, communication and the dining experience
• Benchmarking against comparable settings and a prioritised action plan

How it works

1. 01

   Scope

   A short conversation to agree the questions the review must answer, often prompted by a budget pressure, a complaint pattern, or an approaching contract decision.

2. 02

   Evidence

   I gather the numbers and the paperwork, then spend time on site watching the service run at breakfast, break and lunch, and talking to the people who deliver and use it.

3. 03

   Analysis

   Findings are tested against benchmarks from comparable schools and settings, so recommendations are grounded in what is genuinely achievable, not theory.

4. 04

   Report and recommendations

   You receive a written report with prioritised, costed recommendations. I present it to your leadership team or governors and answer the difficult questions.