Support, streamlining, sustainability and savings for two multi-academy trusts
Overview
For over 16 years allmanhall have been specialising in food procurement support and foodservice consultancy for catering teams in education settings. allmanhall currently support over 120 schools, a number of which are multi-academy trusts (MATs). From reducing costs and improving efficiencies, to enhancing compliance or enabling sustainability goals, one thing these client-partners have in common is a requirement for a trusted partner who can bring support and improvement to their schools.
Background
This case study explores 2 examples of Multi-Academy Trusts benefitting from allmanhall’s support:
Nurture Academies Trust is comprised of 6 primary schools. The Trust has a vision of bringing communities together and nurturing excellence.
HEART Academies Trust is made up of 4 schools and places high importance on academic progress and attainment whilst recognising that a primary education should be full of inspiring and memorable life enhancing variety. allmanhall are proud to be able to work with them both and to support their food offering and the pupils’ experience. Read on to see how…
What did the clients need ?
Nurture Academies Trust initially approached allmanhall with a need for consultancy. Their overall objective was to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and visibility of data and to become compliant with the school food standards. Some of the schools are totally HMC level Halal and managing this was proving difficult – they needed support with this very specific need.
HEART Academies Trust had previously been with another procurement provider but were looking for a partner that could also provide consultative advice from a team who really understand hands-on school catering. They were looking for a full scope of support in addition to the core procurement services and to enable innovations in their foodservice offering, improvements to their procurement and steps towards their sustainability goals.
Results
For Nurture, allmanhall introduced a catering control platform. This has given the Multi-Academy Trust the opportunity to introduce a number of cost-saving exercises, such as the introduction of weekly stock taking to enable a better management of cost. allmanhall have also introduced a fixed ABL to ensure compliance and regularly analysis of the menus. allmanhall have introduced waste management and have streamlined the supply of chemicals to one supplier, ensuring that they all meet the religious and multi-cultural requirements of the staff and pupils: for example, there are no alcohol-based products. The senior client at the Trust often makes use of the regular support offered by his Senior Relationship Manager at allmanhall to discuss ideas and challenges and to check compliance across all catering aspects. In addition to this full support, the original like-for-like weighted benchmark allmanhall undertook on Nurture’s behalf demonstrated a saving of upwards of 8%.
For HEART Academies, allmanhall have streamlined the supply chain and supported the introduction of an on-site café. This has included providing visits to Bewley’s to identify the correct machinery and coffee offering as well as sourcing branded cups and aprons in line with the Trust’s sustainability agenda. allmanhall introduced Real Wrap, to provide a high street-esq approach to their grab and go offer. Via Nisbets, allmanhall were able to help the Trust benefit from a 20% saving on equipment purchased for the café. allmanhall are currently working with HEART Academies regarding the possible introduction of Foodsteps carbon impact assessment platform, making data accessible to the catering teams and pupils, as well as exploring waste management solutions.
All of this support has been in addition to day-to-day supply chain management and ongoing cost savings and price negotiations on behalf of the Trusts, as well as more general consultative advice.
What did the client say?
“allmanhall’s support so far has been so much more than simply supply chain management and price negotiation, as valuable as that is. They offer a consultative approach and full support, understanding and enabling our objectives and really taking onboard our specific needs and challenges. We started our relationship with allmanhall on a consultancy basis and have expanded their remit – evidence of how satisfied we have been with the service they provide. The team truly understand catering in education.”
– Nigel Donnelly, Nurture Academies Trust
