Tomatoes in January | A Visit to Goosemoor Educatering

You know what they say about strawberries in December. ​But consider tomatoes in January.
Bright, shiny, happy red tomatoes.

I was reminded when I saw these tomatoes on my recent visit to our sponsor Educatering of all that is joyful about fresh food and to think that these tomatoes are going into schools to feed our bright, shiny, happy children and young people and staff.

Part of the Goosemoor Group, Educatering are currently working with 80 schools spanning Bristol to Cornwall and all the counties in between. No wonder the team are quite rightly proud of their achievements over the past two and a half years in providing a complete school catering service. And they have a waiting list! It is pleasing that more schools are set to benefit with planning underway to onboard the next eight new schools due to join the Educatering family before Eastertime. 

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This close-knit Devon-based family business has come a long way in nearly
​70 years, growing from a farming and fruit and veg business to the successful foodservice and limited company that it is today. Yet it is endearing that true to their roots, they still provide homegrown parsnips and swedes to local Tesco’s. But then, Goosemoor makes a virtue of joining-up their business operations and also providing a joined-up catering service to schools in sourcing ingredients, bespoke menu planning, compliance and even relief catering team staff.

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Inside what I came to think of as the Goosemoor Tardis, there is a labyrinth of walk-in freezers, fridges and dry stores, including a charcuterie section for their hotel and restaurant supplies. The on-site butchery prepares meat products for the school kitchens and perhaps, not surprisingly, sausages, are one of the top menu favourites.
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Quality is all. Rather than going for bulk and the cheapest ingredients, the team take care to source the best ingredients from local suppliers, and work with a fish and meat and fruit and veg buyers and of course, the essential dry ingredients suppliers; many of whom are from trusted multi-generational families, testifying to the loyal longevity of working together with Goosemoor and because Educatering cut out the middle man, they can maintain realistic and fair pricing. With a genuine nod to sustainability, local is at the heart of their supply chains and economies of scale allow Educatering to provide schools with the best price and quality. Sourcing is organic and schools know that they can request any extras. Drinks are a new feature, especially for Secondary and Sixth Form schools.

Part of caring includes attention to allergens so that the children and staff eating Educatering food are not only happy and healthy eaters, but safe eaters too. Rigorous ingredient checking is integral and constant to the operations overseen by dedicated team members and by using Catercloud software for menus and recipes, which are adjusted when necessary.  Schools are kept informed with parents and carers able to use a QR code on the menus to review ingredients. Technology and a diligent eye for detail ensures this duty of care. 

Because the Educatering team clearly care and believe in what they do. From my time in the Goosemoor Tardis, I could see the smiley can-do attitude across the team that totals nearly 130 employees in this complex operation that effectively works around the clock apart form a day of rest on Sundays. Lorries start pickups from 1 o’clock in the morning and professional pickers are kept on their toes preparing for deliveries to schools in the dedicated Educatering vans throughout the day. There’s a thoughtful functionality across the business and even the pigs at a local farm benefit from any fruit and veg waste.

The Team of Area Managers work closely, with their ten schools each, on bespoke menu planning and have even been known to step into the school kitchen to help out during staff absence. Educatering can provide schools with the support of relief chefs who understand the onboarding procedures and of course, the food. So schools feel confident their temporary chef understands the menus; whilst Educatering oversees the DBS checks, insurance and other admin. The chefs enjoy the variety of working in and supporting different schools, as well as the sense of belonging as an Educatering employee. It obviously works. On average, three Educatering chefs are placed in schools every day to cover sickness and other inevitable staff absence when school kitchens need all hands to the plough. 

The proof is certainly in the pudding. With Educatering food on the menu, kitchens are reportedly all the busier with more and more children and staff choosing to eat Educatering’s food. Whenever Director, Jamie Walsh visits schools and speaks to the children in the dining hall, he is always delighted to hear that they are enjoying the food with genuine gusto. Teachers also comment how the children in the afternoons are calm and quiet and ready to learn. The joy of a hearty healthy (warm) meal.  And with the ongoing cost of living crisis hitting many families hard, we know that this cannot always be taken for granted for all children. It is heartening to know that this special foodservice company is playing its part to provide a connected and caring service to schools. 
 
We thank Educatering for working with us and for the service that they are providing to schools across our region. It is this combined caring working together that I can believe is a particular strength of the Educatering Team who put their company values into their food and operations and I thank them for welcoming me on my visit.  We wish them every continued success.  

Report by Jude Owens, SWIFT Executive Assistant