Navigating the ‘perfect storm’ in independent school food
Why a partnered approach to catering procurement matters more than ever
Introduction
Independent schools in the UK are facing an exceptional mix of financial pressures: from volatile food inflation to regulatory and tax changes. One of the most significant recent shifts is the imposition of VAT on private school fees, which has intensified budgetary strain across the sector.
As an independent school determined to stay afloat during this ‘perfect storm’, you may be asking: where can we find both cost control and support without compromising quality, choice or the experience of our catering team and students? That is precisely where allmanhall comes in.
Neil Cufley, Royal Russell School’s Chief Operating Officer, is delighted with our food procurement solution:
“Want great products, super customer service, and cost savings (with value for money), then speak with allmanhall – you will be glad you did.”
Our work with independent schools over almost two decades has been driven by a clear purpose: to challenge and transform food supply so that informed decisions are easier to make, and we are proud that, as testimony to this mission, our first ever school client remains with us today:
“I will retire with very fond memories of the allmanhall support I have enjoyed during the past 17 years, and it is, as ever, the people that make allmanhall special… always with a speedy response and a desire to sort out issues as quickly as possible.”
– Mark Vernon, St Paul’s Girls’ School
The sector context: why you need to think differently about independent school food
The tax and cost burden is rising. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has warned that the government’s decision to impose a 20 % VAT on private school fees has created a “bridge too far” for some independent schools. A recent survey of 1,150 schools by the Independent Schools Council found that 81 have closed since last year, with 25,000 pupils said to have left the private education sector since the 2024 general election.
While the VAT change itself is a major headline, it comes on top of other pressures: rising National Insurance contributions and wage bills, inflation in food and utilities, and supply chain volatility.
For an independent school, this means tighter catering budgets, greater scrutiny of value, and a need to protect quality, nutrition, and the student experience even more.
Against this background, food procurement must be more than “just cost control”. It becomes critical for ensuring quality and resilience within your school’s catering operation.
With consultancies, aggregators, distributors, and technology firms all offering procurement support, why does allmanhall make the perfect food procurement partner for your school?
Why independent schools benefit from partnering with allmanhall
When you partner with allmanhall as your independent school food procurement partner, you can track and manage every penny of spend, shine a light on improvements, mitigate price increases and let us manage your suppliers whilst leaving you in control. allmanhall enable independent schools’ in-house catering teams to maximise your budgets, enjoy incredible value and quality, and go further through sustainable and responsible procurement.
We achieve this through our four core pillars – Value, Control, Insight and Support – all delivered with integrity and empathy.
Value through cost savings: Our benchmark work with independent schools shows savings of 10 -30 % in many cases. For example:
- Worth School benefitted from a 13.93 % saving in their first benchmark.
- Royal Russell School achieved a first benchmark saving of 12.23 %. For the whole story, watch the video case study here.
- Burgess Hill Girls’ School enjoyed average savings of 13.39 % in 2018 and prevented over £27,000 unnecessary extra spend in one period alone.
Control through consolidated billing and operational efficiency: Rather than dealing with multiple supplier invoices, you receive a single simplified invoice from allmanhall at month-end, allowing both your finance and catering teams to concentrate on what matters rather than time-consuming administration.
- Worth School, for example, gained administrative efficiencies and a reduction in volume of invoices, from 2000 per year to less than 120 per year.
- Burgess Hill Girls School regained time for strategic work: “allmanhall not only continue to deliver the savings and quality promised but also streamlined the back office operation… With allmanhall’s support we have been able to take the girls’ catering experience to a much higher level for the same expenditure.” – Graham Bond, retired Bursar
Insight through our complimentary catering controls platform: Along with The Pass portal, you have everything you need at your fingertips – orders, reports, sustainability dashboards, and expert industry insight.
Support through our ability to work as an extension of your in-house team, offering hands-on help and expertise: “We regard the allmanhall team as absolute experts … they are a truly essential service … a critical partner.” – Chris Ingram, ACS International Schools.
Our values mean putting people first – listening, understanding, and tailoring support to each client’s unique needs.
Sector-specific expertise for in-house catering teams.
We understand independent school food. Our experience spans almost two decades. We know how boarding houses operate, how dining and hospitality expectations for pupils and parents often go beyond cafeteria norms.
We are aligned with both the Boarding School Association and the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association, which means we understand the governance, financial reporting, and service levels required in your sector.
We work as an extension of your team – our award-winning support team includes dedicated Client Relationship Managers (from professional catering backgrounds, who understand the realities of a working school kitchen) and Client Support Advisors who will always answer the phone, providing real human support.
We deliver added value beyond procurement: real-time management information, supplier reports, product delists, sustainability resources, financial dashboards – all accessible via your portal.
Why this matters now – putting procurement at the heart of your resilience strategy
Given the current pressures (VAT + inflation + supply chain risk), here’s how partnering with allmanhall helps your independent school become more resilient:
- Budget protection: By locking in savings, leveraging our procurement scale, you give your catering budget more headroom, reducing the need to compromise on quality or cut services.
- Quality & choice safeguarded: Rather than just cheaper products, you maintain your service standards, food quality, dietary variety – all important to students and parents.
- Operational focus regained: Catering teams can focus on student experience, engagement, sustainability programmes, and menu innovation, rather than supplier negotiation or invoice processing.
- Nutrition & dietetics support: Peace of mind through expert guidance when it comes to menu development, allergen
management and compliance with legislation. “allmanhall’s training was incredibly helpful, interactive and engaging. We have made a number of changes since [the] visit, including implementing an allergen checklist matrix…Whilst we already had a good system in place, this adds an additional level of safety and traceability to each dish.” – Linda Thomas, Catering and Functions Manager, St Mary’s Calne. - Sustainability & stakeholder expectations: Many independent schools have strong sustainability ambitions (carbon reduction, local sourcing, waste reduction, menu optimisation). allmanhall’s procurement model supports those goals via transparent supply chains, supplier audits, and menu-based carbon insight.
- Long-term partnership rather than short-term fix: We are owner-managed, agile, and focused on long-term collaborations. We’ve seen schools through years of market volatility and we’re here for the long term.
How to engage – a recommended journey
For any school considering allmanhall as your independent school food procurement partner, a structured approach might look like this:
- Initial benchmark: We review your current spend and supplier base.
- Mobilisation & change management: We manage your supplier handover, data migration, invoice consolidation, and provide training for your catering & finance teams.
- Implementation of The Pass portal: We provide live visibility of your spend and supplier metrics along with sustainability dashboards, product delists, and a raft of industry insights.
- Ongoing partnership: Monthly reporting, price increase mitigation, supplier performance, strategic reviews.
- Added value services: Nutrition & dietetics consultancy, foodservice operational audits, staff training, allergen compliance, waste reduction programmes. “… truly understood why we required a full review of our catering operation, which is evident by the depth of information within the report we received. The recommendations we received have allowed us to create a short-, medium- and long-term plan to enable us to develop and increase savings throughout the catering department.” – Claire Yates, Foundation Director of Hospitality & Leisure, Warwick Schools Foundation
Conclusion
For independent schools seeking both cost control and high-quality catering provision, now is the time to act. The twin challenges of external taxation and inflationary pressure mean that catering procurement can no longer be routine – it must be intentional and informed. It requires strategic thinking, smart execution and an empathetic partner who understands your context.
allmanhall believe that independent school food provision deserves procurement support that is fit for the ambition, values and distinctiveness of your catering provision.
If you’d like to explore how allmanhall can work with your school – benchmarking your current supply chain, unlocking savings, simplifying administration and supporting your catering team for the long term – we’re here to walk with you.