WELSH HIGH SCHOOL HAWARDEN PARTNERS WITH DOLCE CATERING AND SEES SCHOOL LUNCH UPTAKE ROCKET

One of the oldest schools in Wales has seen its school meal uptake rocket, following a complete redesign of their main dining area, in a project that the headteacher says has ‘revolutionised the catering experience’.

Hawarden High School, in Flintshire, Wales, partnered with us at Dolce Schools Catering and we completed the full fit-out and design service with our in-house team of experts.

Following the redesign, for the four months September-December 2024, the school has reported a consistent 98% uptake on Free School Meals and 76% uptake on paid school meals, far above average.

Serving over one thousand pupils, aged between 11-18 years old every day, our flagship offering at Hawarden’s newly designed Food Court offers students a diverse culinary experience across four ‘zones’: Street Kitchen, Casa Brasilia, Italian Kitchen and the Toast Office. Each zone features its own custom menu, offering global flavours, on-trend dishes and meals tailored to a wide range of tastes.

“In fact, the redesign didn’t cost the school any upfront money – we covered the cost with the view that the increased uptake will deliver more revenue. Removing the financial barriers for schools is key to ensuring pupils have access to the best possible catering.

“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.

“Secondary school pupils are seeking food experiences similar to what they see on the high street and social media, and how a brand looks plays a big role in the purchasing decision. We make dining areas vivid, exciting, well-designed spaces – with the added benefit that the food offering itself is backed up by our team of chefs, who have created menus based around fresh ingredients, packed full of taste and nutrients. Schools can come to us and get their whole catering offering managed – from the food to the design – under one roof.”

The four zones include:

In every zone, a wide variety of grab & go options are offered daily, including Mexican Chicken Burrito, Crispy Quorn Dipper Wrap with a Cool Mayo, Tandoori Chicken Khati Wrap with Indian Slaw, and Sweet Chilli Glazed Sausage & Peppers in a Sub Roll, as well as Loaded Fries and Jacket Potatoes topped with cheese, bacon and salsa.

A pupil at Hawarden School, said: “I really like all the different areas and being able to try different foods from around the world. The food is really tasty and much better than what we used to have. It gets very busy at lunchtime but the queues move quickly so it doesn’t take that long at all.”

If you’re a school and would like to get in touch to hear about our design and refitting service please fill in our form below:

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