Lancaster Royal Grammar School ~ Catering Tender

The successful Supplier will be required to provide Catering services for:

Lancaster Royal Grammar School

East Road

Lancaster

LA1 3EF

Contract value = annual catering turnover £530,000

The contract will be for a period of 3 years commencing September 2025 with the option to extend for a further 2 years.

Lancaster Royal Grammar School is a school of approx. 1260 students including 400 students in sixth form. The School has a boarding provision of typically 100-120 students. The sixth form is mixed whilst the lower school is an all boys school.

Lancaster Royal Grammar School is a buoyant selective state grammar school with a big reputation. The values central to Lancaster Royal Grammar School are those of academic and extra-curricular excellence and opportunity, within a diverse and tolerant community. We are particularly proud of the warmth of the relationships between pupils and staff, and of the quality of our pastoral care.

Through a contractor the school provides a break and lunch service 5 days a week through the main dining area, grab and go café and two sixth form cafes. Breakfast, lunch and evening meal is provided 7 days a week for those students in the boarding houses. Snacks are also provided to the boarding houses.

The school has a very busy sporting and hospitality calendar with the food provided by the catering provider being a very important part of these events. These may be held in the evenings or at weekends.

The school is looking for a catering partner who upholds exceptional standards of food and service and will work collaboratively with the school and it’s student to continue to develop and enhance all aspects of the service in line with student and school expectations. Healthy eating principles, a strong environmental ethos, innovation and continuous improvement will form a key component of ensuring that value for money is delivered to the students and the school.

Admitted body status will be expected as there are some members of catering staff in the local government pension scheme.

The school will be undergoing a comprehensive building programme likely to commence 2027/2028. This is likely to involve demolition and rebuild, extensive refurbishment and the use of temporary accommodation. The school will need their catering partner to be flexible and supportive in adjusting the catering requirement and provision so as to ensure that the same scope and standard of service is maintained whilst these works are taking place.

The expectation for contractor investment will be minimal due to the above and will most likely be for furniture or movable equipment.

See SQ document for more information.