Essex School Meals Advisory Service

Already a Subscriber? 

If you are a current subscriber to our service, please access our secure area here:

Login to the secure area

Our New Service

The Essex School Meals Advisory Service has been supporting the schools of Essex ever since it was established 17 years ago by the Essex Schools Forum.
In that time, it has continually adapted to the needs of our schools, and we are excited to take the next step in that journey.

We have been transforming our service in preparation for 1 September 2024, embracing new opportunities and technologies.

We now have a simplified online model that is more flexible and more accessible.
Recognising the financial challenges faced by our schools, we have consolidated our previous banding structure down to become one £900 annual price. In addition, we are keen to continue to support our smaller schools. As such, we will apply a 33% discount to all schools with 120 or fewer pupils on roll, offering them with a £600 annual price.

The Essex School Meals Advisory Service has maintained close relationships with leading national food suppliers since its inception. By negotiating the bespoke discounts that schools receive, we ensure that our subscribers save significantly more in their annual food costs than the price of our service.

While embracing the benefits of our new online-focused service, we recognise the importance of retaining the option of an in-person visit if and when the need may arise. Instead of these being part of the mandatory cost of our service, we can now provide a visit as a fully optional addon, which we will offer at a £300 price. This provides our subscribers with more choice in how we support them and is tailored to better suit the needs of each individual school.

What is Included in Our Service?

• Access to our dedicated advisory team through email, phone, and online meetings,
  including kitchen and staff requirements, equipment, and supplier queries. 
• Our Catering Procedures Manual, a complete Food Safety & Management System.
  This will cover your statutory legal requirements, ensuring good catering practices.
• Virtual new staff introduction on our Catering Procedures Manual, including due diligence guidance, and scheduled meetings to ensure contact is maintained. 
• A self-monitoring system to assist with Food Safety and Health and Safety within your school kitchen, ensuring your catering operations are working effectively.
• Staff training and guidance on Safe Systems of Work and all documentation.
• Accessible online paperwork observation. Looking at kitchen documents, including cross contamination rules, allergen records, and new staff training records.
• Advice on your targets and requirements to help with Performance Management.
• Catering Managers meetings, facilitating networking with other school managers.
• Menus and Recipes that are nutritionally balanced and cost considered, compliant with School Food Standards and awarded with the ProVeg School Plates Award.
• Guidance on due diligence when dealing with local, regional, and national suppliers.
• Access to our Essex Schools InfoLink, a repository of information and updates, where training schedules, food safety notices and kitchen newsletters can be found.
• Discounted training through our association with training providers.
• Bespoke discounted pricing, negotiated with leading national suppliers. 
• A commitment to work with you to ensure our service continually meets your needs.

How to Join Us?

If you wish to join our new service, or have any queries regarding it, please do not hesitate to contact us at School.Meals@essex.gov.uk or on 03330 139289 (option 2)