School meals win for DSO

DEVON Direct Services, the direct service organisation (DSO) of Devon County Council, has kept its £11m-a-year catering contract, beating BET and three other private sector bids.

The four-year deal, with an option to extend it to five, was awarded last week by the county's contracts subcommittee after three weeks of evaluation.

Although the DSO won on best price, its answers to a detailed questionnaire on management structure and quality control were also crucial, site services manager Ian Wasson told Caterer.

"We believe we're efficient, but although our kitchen operations will remain unchanged, we made several other adjustments between the first round of the bid and the last," he said.

The contract, which runs from 1 August, includes two-course meals for 438 primary schools, cash cafeterias for 57 secondary schools and colleges and a meals-on-wheels service.

More than 1,700 staff are employed by the DSO.