Chartwells wins £28.4m East Sussex school meals deal

Compass Group's school food business Chartwells has won a four-year contract extension with East Sussex County Council worth £28.4m.

The new deal will see 587 Chartwells employees will continue to deliver a range of food services to 63,000 pupils across 172 primary, secondary, academy and special schools in the county.

It has operated this contract since 2007, with uptake of school meals rising by 8% in primary schools and over 15% in secondary schools during this period.

Chartwells' business director John Carlin commented: "We've forged a strong relationship with East Sussex County Council over the past six years and we are really proud of some of the great results we've had.

"Our chef Alison Gann, who was crowned LACA's National Chef of the Year last year, is a prime example of this. We're delighted to continue this partnership and look forward to building on this further over the next four years."

In time for the next academic year, Chartwells will introduce a new-look food offer and invest in refreshed presentation equipment for schools to enhance the dining experience for children.