DOLCE FUELS JOB OPPORTUNITIES AS A RESULT OF RAPID GROWTH

With 2024 marking our 25th anniversary, we’re proud to report we’ve had a bumper 12 months having won 100+ new contracts, fuelling job opportunities across England and Wales.

As a result of new business wins and steadfast growth, we will see revenue reach a record £65 million for 2024/25 and we have recently appointed a new COO, Ben Woodward.

We now work with over 650 primary and secondary schools, providing 125,000 meals for pupils every day, and have a 2,500-strong team; an increase of 20% in the last 12 months.

“We’re incredibly proud to have innovated some of the biggest developments in the history of the education catering sector. We invented online pre-order and cashless payment systems in primary schools, as well as online ordering with digital weigh-out, which has been instrumental in combatting food waste in schools. We’ve won various accolades including a Catey Award for ‘Best Use of Technology’ and an EDUcatering award for ‘Innovation’.”

With our roots as a family business, creating an environment where talent can be nurtured and developed is at the core of our business. Previously Operations Director for the North, newly appointed COO Ben Woodward, brings a wealth of experience to the position, having held senior roles at Elior, Compass Group and Sodexo.

Scott Curtis comments: “We’re aware that having the very best team is what enables us to flourish as a business. Developing home grown talent and also unearthing the very best individuals within the industry to come and join us, is a core part of our business growth strategy. We’re committed to investing in our staff, and providing them with pathways to thriving careers.”

From the beginning, our catering has been based upon the Italian’s approach to food creation;

passionate about fresh, seasonal ingredients and obsessed with perfecting the taste. No more bland, dry food lacking in nutrients – instead, schools enjoy meals cooked fresh from raw ingredients, packed full of taste and nutrients.

Alongside catering, our full fit-out and design service has increasingly become more popular, where we completely transform a school’s dining area. This is something other caterers need to outsource, resulting in us not only providing unrivalled skills in-house but also a far more affordable re-design option for schools.

Scott Curtis continues: “Secondary school pupils want to eat from on-trend eateries that look like the brands they see on the high streets and on social media. Our design and fit-out service isn’t about changing a few signs; it’s a complete overhaul including flooring, cladding, seating and lighting. We have a diversely-skilled team with a wealth of experience behind them, having worked on well-known TV sets, Glastonbury festival stages and Morrisons café fit-outs. As we offer this in-house, our customers can come to us and get their whole catering offering managed – from the food to the design – under one roof.”

Ian Houghton, Head of Estates at Castle Phoenix Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust, said: “Working with Dolce for many years now it has been great to grow our Trust alongside Dolce’s own evolution. The impact they have had on our schools has been transformative and the quality and customer care we receive has been fantastic. This has in large part been due to their family feel and responsiveness to us as a client but also supported by their constant striving for innovations.”

Here’s to another 25 years!
The Dolce team

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