BaxterStorey awarded contract with AQA

BaxterStorey, the UK’s largest independent hospitality provider, has been awarded a three-year contract with AQA Education in Milton Keynes

The new partnership will see BaxterStorey open an onsite café for both employees and visitors. The contract will include an artisan coffee bar and in-house grab and go service, offering fresh paninis, salads, and sandwiches. The offer will be flexible enough to accommodate seasonal increases in headcount, as the charity peaks with as many as 500 additional exam markers over the summer period. To streamline service during peak times, BaxterStorey will be offering handheld street food selections and fast-tracked boxed hot pots.

AQA is an independent charity which sets and marks over half of the GCSE and A-Level exams taken in the UK every year. Over the last two years the exam board has been giving its office an extensive refurbishment.

As part of this programme, BaxterStorey will work with the charity to design the space to suit the organisation’s move to hybrid, agile working.

As well as BaxterStorey’s commitment to minimise food waste and reduce environmental impact, there will be no disposables on site and visitors will been encouraged to use re-usable cups for hot drinks.

By focusing on fresh, locally sourced produce, BaxterStorey has created a ‘Food EQ’ model, celebrating plant-based ingredients and shifting the reliance on meat and fish as a sole source of protein to introduce alternatives such as grains and pulses.

BaxterStorey’s regional managing director, Peter Kent, said: “The design of the space at AQA centres on creating shared experiences and promoting collaboration, and we’re excited to be bringing our expertise and innovation to the staff and visitors at AQA. We’re also looking forward to supporting the charity as it implements its sustainability initiatives, such as minimising the use of disposable packaging and reducing food waste.”

BaxterStorey employs more than 5,500 people at over 600 locations.