Cucina wins six new academy school contracts

27 September 2011 by
Cucina wins six new academy school contracts

Education caterer Cucina has won six new academy contracts that are expected to increase the company's annual turnover by £1.2m.

The five-year contracts at Highdown School and Sixth Form in Reading; Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford; Longfields Academy, Wilmington Academy, and special school Milestone Academy, all in Kent; and a three-year deal at Stockley Academy in Middlesex, gives Cucina access to almost 7,000 new customers.

School meal take-up has already tripled at all six sites, with takings increasing at one school from £350 to £2,200 per day on some days. The latest company accounts show a turnover of £4.8m.

"It's great to have happy clients who can see sales shooting up already," said Steve Quinn, managing director of Cucina. "Our ‘stealthy eating' approach has helped us more than double the uptake of school dinners in our restaurants across England. It has also enabled our partner schools to significantly reduce their catering costs."

He added: "At Highdown we are adopting a ‘seeds to plate' philosophy for the kitchens, growing vegetables in the Victorian Walled Garden there.

"Wilmington has its own garden too and, in line with the horticulture curriculum there, we are using ‘academy grown' butternut squashes, courgettes and other vegetables in the soup. We have tripled takings there and at Longfields. Student spends have quadrupled in the restaurant."

Cucina wins schools contracts worth £1.8m >>

Cucina wins three school meals contracts worth total of £5m >>

Cucina launches recipes iPhone app >>

By Janie Stamford

E-mail your comments to Janie Stamford here.

Tabletalk
Tabletalk
If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk

Caterersearch.com jobs

Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Caterersearch.com jobs

Blogs on Caterersearch.com ](http://www.caterersearch.com/blogs) Catch up with more news and gossip on all Caterer's blogs
[E-newsletters](http://www.caterersearch.com/email-newsletters.htm)[ For the latest hospitality news, sign up for our E-newsletters
The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking