In-house or outsourced education catering, pros and cons.
In-house education catering refers to providing catering services for school settings, using internal staff and resources. On the other hand, outsourced education catering involves hiring external catering service providers to provide food services for educational settings.
There is no right or wrong approach when deciding how your school’s catering service is managed, what is important is to understand the risks and benefits of each option. As a starting point to the decision process, we examine some of the pros and cons of the different catering models:
In-House Education Catering:
Pros:
Control over quality: With in-house catering, the setting has direct control over the quality of food and the ingredients used. This allows for greater customisation and the ability to meet specific dietary requirements or preferences.
Flexibility: In-house catering allows for more flexibility in menu planning and adjustments based on student feedback, cultural considerations, or seasonal changes and to align to the school’s ethos and culture.
Cost control: By managing the catering internally, settings have more control over the costs associated with food service. They can negotiate directly with suppliers, reduce overheads, and potentially save money in the long run. Trading surpluses can be reinvested into the catering service.
Cons:
Staffing and training: Operating an in-house catering service requires hiring and training a dedicated team, including chefs, cooks, catering assistants and administrators. This can be a significant investment in terms of time and resources.
Commercial pressures: Establishing and maintaining a fully functional kitchen, dining areas, and storage facilities can be costly and require ongoing maintenance and administration. Day to day financial conundrums and the pressures associated revert to the school’s management.
Limited expertise: In-house catering may lack the specialised expertise and experience that external catering companies bring to the table. This can result in less variety and culinary creativity in menu options.
Outsourced Education Catering:
Pros:
Expertise and experience: Outsourced catering companies specialise in providing food services, which means they bring a wealth of expertise, experience, and industry knowledge to the table. They can offer innovative menu options, stay up-to-date with food trends, and deliver high-quality meals.
Cost savings: Outsourcing catering can potentially lead to cost savings. External companies may have established relationships with suppliers and economies of scale, allowing them to negotiate better prices for ingredients and equipment if investment is required.
Reduced administrative burden: By outsourcing catering, educational settings can offload the administrative tasks associated with managing a food service operation. This allows them to focus on their core educational mission.
Cons:
Less control over quality: When outsourcing, educational settings may have less control over the quality and consistency of the food served. They must rely on the catering company to maintain the desired standards.
Limited customisation: External caterers often have set menus or limited flexibility, making it harder to meet specific dietary requirements or accommodate individual preferences.
Dependency on external provider: Outsourcing means relying on an external company to deliver the catering service. If there are issues with the provider, such as late deliveries or quality problems and potential compromise between quality and profit.
Ultimately, the decision between in-house and outsourced education catering depends on various factors, including the setting's budget, resources, desired level of control, and the availability of external catering services in the local market.
Outsourced vs in-house catering is a debate that will continue for schools.
Our hands-on catering consultancy aims to make the day-to-day running of your school more efficient, more cost-effective and higher standard. Whatever you decide we can help.