Schoolchildren and students are a choosy clientele and we take extremely seriously the role we have to play in meeting the varied culinary tastes of brand-conscious young people, while respecting the requirements of parents and teachers for a well-balanced menu.  We are proud that all of our state school menus also meet the Government guidelines which were introduced in September 2006 and the majority of our clients already meet the nutritional standards for 2009.

Whether it be independent, state or primary school, cash-taking or subsidised, the same issues affect the majority of the education sector – the desire to keep children and young people on site, to offer an appetising range of nutritious food while keeping costs down, to increase custom and generate additional, valuable revenue.

The pressure on colleges and universities to cut costs is even more intense, with campus refectories competing directly with the high street. Outsourcing is recognised as the solution for both refectory and Student Union operations. We cater for many of the UK's leading universities and colleges, often investing in attractive, branded food courts and café bars to increase custom while maximising the flexibility of the food offer. All of our FE/HE contracts offer Fairtrade products as part of their standard offer.

The Compass Group operating companies in this sector are:

Scolarest –the UK’s leading specialist catering provider in the education sector; providing bespoke foodservices and support solutions for more than 2,500 schools, colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom, offering healthy, innovative, modern and imaginative menus for young people.

Chartwells –providing a high quality catering service to independent schools that is truly modern and imaginative. Using the freshest ingredients, cooked and presented by our highly trained and skilled chefs and their culinary teams, pupils and employees benefit from a catering service that is of the highest standards.