6 school catering tips from the online community
Head over to Twitter, and you’ll find a thriving SBM and SBL community. Help and support are aplenty, and so too are hints and tips on a variety of issues that affect schools every day.
Something caught our eye recently. A member of that very community, @schoolbusmgr, tweeted out looking for examples of how schools do catering well.
With eyes inevitably moving towards the next school year, you might be considering how you can improve your catering services to bring a better experience to your pupils. In fact, a piece in Education Executive recently said now is the perfect time to review your catering.
To help you out, we sifted through the response to the tweet above and compiled the best tips right here.
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1. Invite the parents in for lunch
We loved this suggestion from @runningSBM, which suggests inviting the parents in every now and then so they can experience lunch at your school.
It’s a fantastic way to engage with the parents at your school and really show off the hard work you and your catering staff are putting into school meals.
2. Bring it in-house
This was one of the more popular suggestions made. The in-house vs external catering firm conundrum is one every school deals with. Looking at this twitter thread, it’s clear that if you can get it right, having a dedicated in-house team can really elevate the catering service you provide.
Great suggestion on the work experience angle for secondary schools too!
3. Know each pupils’ requirements
One of the biggest benefits to an in-house systems seems to be the level of involvement those staff members have in the school at large. As dedicated members of the team, they have the time and room to get to know each face they serve every day.
Over time, they learn everyone’s names and preferences, which all helps to build a more friendly and inviting mealtime service that your pupils will love.
4. Make dining a real experience
An area the UK is often considered to be lacking compared to our European friends is the shared experience of eating. Lunch shouldn’t be about moving the pupils through the system as quickly as possible. Making positive experiences around food are important for pupils in their younger years. It could help them eat well for years to come.
One way you can do that is by creating a more family, dining-style experience. Like @AmyWhite310 suggests.
5. Reach out for feedback
You can never hope to make the right improvements if you don’t know how your customers feel about the service, right? This suggestion, from @mashmanos shows how powerful a committed catering manager can be. Reach out to pupils in your school regularly and get some feedback, that way you’ll be able to focus on the things that matter to them.
Some other great pointers in that tweet too.
6. Make it the heart of the school
One final theme we noticed that ran throughout everyone who responded to the original thread. Tying together a lot of the other pieces we spotted can contribute to placing your catering at the very heart of your school.
Another tweet said:
"Our customer service. They are encouraged to learn names and listen to the children and encourage good manners. The service has the children and their needs at his heart."
With an approachable, engaged catering team who are willing to listen, learn and adapt, everyone can have a more positive relationship with food both in school and out.
You can find a whole load more of tips, advice and insight into the world of the SBM over on Twitter. Join in the conversation by following our Twitter channel @gls_education.
