Education
We are proud to work with many of the most prestigious schools and educational institutions across the UK and Europe.
Food is at the heart of school life, particularly in boarding schools, and we are highly experienced in ensuring an outstanding service for the whole school community.
At Thomas Franks, nourishing pupils is paramount in everything we do. We ensure our pupils enjoy freshly prepared, tasty and nutritious food every day.
As part of our nutrition standards, we include a variety of proteins on the menu weekly including oily fish each week to support cognitive health, as well as a range of beans and pulses for plenty of imaginative plant-based options.
Case Study
Queen Anne’s School, Caversham
An independent boarding and day school, for girls aged 11 – 18.
Upon appointment in August 2013, Thomas Franks recruited an experienced General Manager and talented Executive Head Chef, who transformed the service standards and menus to make use of seasonal and world food trends.
Inline with the brand values, Thomas Franks invested in a new, local supply chain including the local butcher, Jennings of Caversham. As well as ensuring that fresh, raw ingredients are supplied five times a week to ensure the catering offer is local nutritious and wholesome for the pupils and staff.
The new dining room area has since been completely redesigned to encompass a stunning area with modern furniture and a dual counter display featuring a wide range of hot and cold options.
The inclusion of a high street style coffee shop for the Sixth Formers, which features the ‘Queen Anne’s House Blend’ and many high street products was a strong hit and remains a powerful selling point for the school as it enables the pupils to work, relax and eat with more flexibility and independence, in reflection of their preparation to leave school and move into the world. It is here that our Company Nutritionist, delivers many talks and presentations on the importance of nutrition and healthy eating.
Nine years on, the partnership continues to grow, Thomas Franks remains proud to work closely with the team and school to ensure that the pupils and staff continue to enjoy the service we provide.
Case Study
Leighton Park
An award-winning independent day and boarding school in Reading, Berkshire
Thomas Franks were awarded the catering contract in June 2012, and since then, Leighton Park have become one of our most trusted locations. Upon winning the school, we worked with Leighton Park to develop a joint vision, designed with the needs of busy working parents in mind. Thus, the requirement for a healthy and varied food service was paramount as flexibility in the length of the school day, with options between 7.30am and 9pm for day students, and full, weekly and flexi boarding on offer, meant many pupils ate most or all their meals at school.
Due to this food offerings include Breakfast and Dinner service for all boarders, and as an option for pupils and staff with Lunch being served for all in the school’s purpose-built restaurant, Oakview. Along with these meal services, the team at Leighton Park also provide the pupils with packed lunches for trips and event, and hospitality events including summer balls and leavers’ events.
The food offerings has proven to be so popular with the pupils, that many opt to remain at the school for supper. Along with having a full artisan salad bar and pasta bar, the school also has a gluten-free counter and provide vegan and vegetarian options at each meal.
Case Study
Farleigh School, Andover
Catholic co-educational prep school for children aged 3-13, welcoming boarders and day pupils
Thomas Franks was appointed in January 2018, catering for 460 pupils, including 120 boarders. Since then, major changes have been initiated, not only to the food itself, but also to the design of the kitchen and dining halls. The dining hall saw a transformation of new countertops, display areas and a salad bar to enhance customer flow. In addition, we assisted a major kitchen renovation introducing top spec equipment.
A wider range of food options were introduced for hospitality, school events and match teas. Alongside this, in order for international boarders to feel more at home, Thomas Franks introduced a more bespoke and international menu throughout the day to ensure our food offers are inclusive of global cuisines.
Food went beyond lunch and dinner time, as we started monthly calendar events to support food education for the pupils and to offer something a bit more fun and unique, including Thomas Franks-led cookery classes.
Case Study
Manchester High School for Girls
A prestigious English independent day school for girls and a member of the Girls School Association.
Upon award we starting working with the school to sort out the queueing system, as this seems to take up much of their lunch break. We discussed different options and in the end we opted to go for two server points, but with mirrored menus, so this halved the queuing and we refurbished the refectory and the dining hall to make it more modern and up to date.
We revived the food offering at meal times with an array of healthy and calorie conscious meal options now – from Mindfuel and Refuel nourish bowls which have all the nutrients the girls need for a successful day ahead, whether they are hitting the books or the pitch.
