Dear Parents and Carers,

Moving to Chartwells

The Governors and I are pleased to inform you that we are moving our catering contract for our children’s school dinners to a new company called Chartwells.  Chartwells will begin serving meals after the Easter holidays, on Wednesday 20^th April 2022. 

We are delighted that all our current catering staff will stay working with us, moving over to the new company. Sue Murray (infants) and Sarah Gillett (juniors) will continue as our cooks leading their kitchen staff. 

Chartwells came into school on Wednesday to meet the children and led an assembly introducing themselves and talked about what the school dinners would be like.

School dinner price and ParentPay

School dinner prices will remain the same for the rest of this year and the next academic year.  They will continue to be £2.40.  Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to 'universal' free school meals paid for by the Government. 

From September 2021 our Reception and Year 1 children all have a school dinner.  Our Year 2 children can bring a packed lunch if they wish this academic year.  From September 2022 all our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children will be having a school dinner.  Nursery, Year 3 to 6 children are welcome to purchase school meals or have their Free School Meal (means tested by the Government). 

Payment of school meals will continue to be paid through the online system ParentPay. On ParentPay you will also be able to pre-order your child’s meals and there will be photographs and information on each meal on here (ingredients, etc).

It is important that all school lunch debts up to and including 1^st April be cleared from your account please.  

Who are Chartwells?

Chartwells is the leading provider of contract catering and support services to the education sector in the UK.  Their team prides themselves on innovation and commitment to finding imaginative new ways to increase meal uptake and enhance student experience, making school food tasty and appealing.

Chartwells is the education arm of the Compass Group UK & Ireland, part of Compass Group PLC, a world-leading food and support services provider.  The company operates across the core sectors of Business & Industry, Healthcare, Education, Defence, Offshore & Remote and Sport, Leisure & Hospitality with a broad client portfolio.

What will Chartwells offer?

There’s a great deal of importance placed on the vital role Chartwells play in educating young people on good nutrition and healthy lifestyles and additional education programmes.

They will be investing into the school by refreshing the front of house service areas with new signage and display wares, where they will be delivering their Food Superheroes Primary Menu offer. Seasonal and nutritionally balanced healthy menus will change twice annually offering variety along with new dishes to stimulate inquisitive minds.

Food Allergies and Special Diets

We’ve always taken food allergies extremely seriously. If any pupil has an allergy, an intolerance or a medical condition that calls for a special diet - however simple or complex - Chartwells in-house expert team of nutritionists make sure they’re fully and safely catered for with special menus, procedures, and local training. They work closely with each student and their family to create an individual menu that they’ll like and eat, regularly developing special menus to deal with the common allergens as well as looking after more complex diet-affected metabolic disorders.  They also support diabetic dietary needs (especially type 1) by providing the exact amount of carbohydrate needed to manage insulin levels.

Finally

Chartwells are extremely excited to be given the opportunity to become the catering providers at Berkeley Primary School and are looking forward to show-casing their food offer to all pupils within the school from the 20th April 2022. Please have a look at the three weekly menu cycle on the school’s website.

Best wishes

Anna Cvijetic

Headteacher