News & Views

According to the latest data from the Department for Education, the total number of children in the UK receiving free school meals is approximately 2.38 million. However, this may vary depending on how many children actually take up their entitlement.

The .GOV guidance below summarises your considerations. Red Box have provided further annotation to support you in determining if you are in a position to tender and how long the process will take.

According to People Management Daily, 'Candidate availability has grown for the first time in 25 months alongside a marked increase in total vacancies, according to new data'. Could we finally be in a position where vacancies in hospitality and facilities are filled?

A health and safety audit is a handy way of preventing accidents and incidents before they happen reducing the risk of potential cost to an persons health or financially to the business. They can also provide evidence of efforts to ensure health and safety compliance should any accidents happen and demonstrate your company’s commitment to safety when completed by a competent and regular auditor.

'Why can't we have Yorkshire puddings on more than one day?!'. As of January 2015, all maintained schools, new academies, and free schools are required to follow the standards of the School Food Plan. It was launched by the Department of Education and in line with the requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. As part of our auditing on a termly or sometimes monthly basis, Red Box analyse the school menu and offer seen on the day of our visit to confirm the standards are being met. So what are the School Food Standards?

Taken directly from the ParentPay, Cypad and LACA report as below. ''The aim of this research is to understand the parental view on the school meal service and offering available to their children. Building on the success of the 2021 survey, ParentPay, Cypad and LACA have again conducted one of the largest studies ever undertaken with parents on school meal provision in the UK. The survey attracted an overwhelmingly positive response of over 267,047 survey completions, providing an extremely robust overall sample size''.

We have been asked more and more frequently about the requirement for vegan menus in school. Are schools expected to accommodate the ethical choices as they would religious diets? The Government School Food Plan provides a breakdown of the legal requirement to promote healthy eating.

Green cleaning has to do with the use of environmentally safe products and techniques in commercial cleaning. Though it is not completely new in the industry, it is one of the most on trend innovations when customers are assessing your proposal and business offer. Any company taking ownership for the health and safety of both the cleaner and the clients by encouraging the use of eco-friendly products in janitorial services will be seen as responsible. Technology is revolutionizing how we clean in incredible ways, with innovations allowing businesses of all sizes to keep their premises responsibly clean without overspending.

New Government procurement plans for the public sector are potentially 'catastrophic' for smaller suppliers to the Public Sector.

Our School-based clients and Catering Contractor partners may be in the best position to share this information with their own communities. Kids can eat for free or a very low cost this half term as cost of living hits hard.