Chartwells Independent relaunches as Lodestone House

Chartwells Independent, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has rebranded to Lodestone House.

 

The rebrand brings together the independent school catering arms of Compass under one brand – including the independent school catering segments of CH&Co, which was acquired by Compass Group last year.

 

Lodestone House will be guided by the ethos of garden to kitchen to classroom and will focus on seasonality, sustainability and social value.

 

Noelle Jones, managing director at Lodestone House, which works with more than 100 independent schools, said: “The independent school sector has changed significantly in recent years, bringing both new challenges and opportunities. Lodestone House is our response – not just a name change, but a fundamental evolution of everything we do shaped by the voices of clients, pupils, parents and team members.

 

“This is about unearthing best practice from across our business and looking forward to reimagine every aspect of our offer to better support our schools, rooted that commitment in our heritage and underpinned by clear purpose: to nourish, educate and empower young people.”

 

 

As part of the relaunch, Lodestone House has unveiled a new education programme to help pupils learn about food and nutrition, with workshops and chef-led activities tailored to each school’s individual needs. For instance, a school with a strong sports focus will be offered an additional bespoke sports nutrition programme designed by registered sports nutritionists and delivered through seminars and practical sessions.

 

“Through our three pillars – garden, kitchen, classroom – we’re instilling a love for fresh, homemade food from farm to fork, embedding food education into daily school life and championing social value to support both people and planet,” said Jones. “We’ve carefully cultivated our menus and education programme to help pupils thrive – consistently fuelling their minds, supporting their wellbeing, and building vital life skills they will carry into the future.

 

“This isn’t rocket science, it’s about doing the simple things excellently, every day, and creating an outwardly looking brand that reflects and represents the amazing quality our teams deliver.”

 

The independent school sector has faced significant challenges over the last year. With VAT now applicable on fees, schools are seeing an increase in pupils transferring to the state school system as parents struggle to meet the higher costs. Meanwhile, the end of charitable business rates relief from early 2025 will also see further strain on a sector already dealing with inflationary costs and increased payroll costs.

 

Speaking to The Caterer, Jones said the rebrand was “a chance to demonstrate to our schools we can give them so much more than deliver on the plate”. 

 

She added: “We’re a partner for the future as they’re evolving and changing in respond to challenges in the marketplace, demanding parents, pupil numbers and financials.”

 

 

Lodestone will also take inspiration from elsewhere in the Compass business to support schools as they look to find new revenue streams.

 

“We need to understand how we can become a commercial partner,” she said. “From weddings and conferences to renting out areas of the school on an ad hoc basis. Everyone wants a piece of the market and we’re in a position to help and support as we can pull in expertise from other sectors. We’re on that learning curve, they’ve been adapting and we’re adapting.”

 

The name Lodestone takes inspiration from the earliest compasses, which were magnitised when struck with lodestone, providing a nod to parent company Compass Group, while House connects back to Charlton House, which was acquired by CH&Co in 2014.

 

The new logo reimagines the fleur-de-lis using an ear of wheat, a whisk and a feather quill to represent the garden, kitchen and classroom. Meanwhile, the colour palette is inspired by the dining room at Winston Churchill’s Chartwell House, from which Chartwells took its name.