Sodexo secures 10-year extension to Leicester Grammar School Trust catering contract

Sodexo’s independent school catering arm has extended its contract with Leicester Grammar School (LGS) Trust for a further 10 years.

Independents by Sodexo has been the trust’s catering partner at its three independent co-educational day schools in Great Glen, Leicestershire, since 2013.

The contract will renew in September and see the group continue to provide breakfast, break-time snacks, lunch and refreshments for after-school care.

To help students adopt a healthier diet, Sodexo said it only uses lean cuts of meat and trims all excess fat before cooking. The caterer uses rapeseed oil for cooking, olive oil for dressings and substitutes salt for herbs in some dishes.

Sodexo also operates the Café@LGS which is open to sixth-form students, staff, parents, external clubs and visitors. The café is open Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings and offers a range of hot and cold drinks, pastries, panini, baguettes, hot sandwiches, freshly made soup, pasta and sweet treats.

Stephen Jefferies, director of finance and operations at LGS ,said: “Sodexo’s team have been an incredible support over the last few years when we were all navigating the unusual circumstances the Covid-19 pandemic put us all in.

“We are delighted to extend the partnership; they continue to serve popular and delicious meals for our students and we welcome their approach to striving to do more, whether educating and encouraging the take-up of more plant-based dishes or bringing to life the importance a healthy lifestyle and diet can have on their performance in the classroom or on the sports field.”

LGS’ junior school has 395 students on its register; the senior school, 875 and LGS Stoneygate, which joined the LGS family in 2016, has 205 students, ranging from four to 16 years old.

Independents by Sodexo agreed a seven-year extension to its contract with Abingdon School near Oxford earlier this summer.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.