St Leonards was founded in 1887 and currently has 600 pupils, aged 5-18 and provides a ‘home from home’ boarding experience for 150 pupils.
The new contract will see Independents by Sodexo introduce a brand new menu with a wide range of dishes with a focus on fresh, seasonal and nutritious food from 20th August 2024.
Independents by Sodexo will cater for pupils and staff, offering breakfast, lunch, supper as well as options for both morning and afternoon breaks. Age appropriate, varied and flexible menus have been designed to recognise pupil tastes at different stages of school life, as well as the international reach of the school community.
Driving sustainability is core to the partnership. Sodexo is committed to 33% of its main meals being plant-based by 2025 and will be introducing dishes such as BBQ jackfruit and roasted squash and aubergine madras at St Leonards, as well as other vegan, vegetarian and free-form dishes.
Reducing food waste will be a focus through WasteWatch, Sodexo’s food waste management programme, which will enable the school catering team at St Leonards to minimise waste from improved kitchen practices. This will be supported by communications for pupils to help educate and encourage them to be mindful when choosing their meals to avoid unnecessary waste.
Independents by Sodexo will also support the School with hospitality and special events services such as Sixth Form balls and weekend match teas for sports.
Simon Knight, managing director for Independents by Sodexo, said: “We are thrilled to bring our passion and expertise to the St Leonards community and to support them in their goal to bring out the best in each pupil. Our services have been designed to support the culture of the School with a clear focus on wellbeing, enhancing learning, investing in people, collaboration and driving sustainability.
“St Leonards has a pioneering educational heritage and is rooted in the local community. We look forward to the start of term and to serve pupils with a brand new menu focused on sustainable, nutritious and delicious food.”
Simon Brian, Head of St Leonards School added: “We are delighted to partner with Independents by Sodexo. We were impressed by their commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship and their focus on enhancing student wellbeing and the learning environment through food.”
St Leonards is a centre of excellence for boarding research, with a particular focus on supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
ENDS
Contacts
Sodexo
Gail Collins/Jane Pearson
020 7404 0110
press.office@sodexo.com
uk.sodexo.com
About Sodexo
UK and Ireland
In the UK and Ireland Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.
Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx) and employee engagement and recognition services (Pluxee).
Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are
Worldwide
Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in sustainable food and valued experiences at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. The Group stands out for its independence, its founding family shareholding and its responsible business model.
Thanks to its two activities of Food and Facilities Management Services, Sodexo meets all the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. For Sodexo, growth and social commitment go hand in hand.
Our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.
Sodexo is included in the CAC Next 20, CAC 40 ESG, CAC SBT 1.5, FTSE 4 Good and DJSI indices.
Sodexo key figures
— 22.6 billion euros Fiscal 2023 consolidated revenues
— 430,000 employees (as at August 31, 2023)
— #1 France-based private employer worldwide
— 45 countries
— 80 million consumers served daily
— 12.6 billion euros in market capitalisation (as at July 1, 2024)