Nursery World - Nursery Food: Outside caterers

Making a decision on whether to outsource food provision can be a
complex business. Ruth Stokes looks at what nurseries should
consider.

The choice about whether to employ an external caterer or provide food in-house is an important one. While nutritional content is key, any catering arrangement also has to make good business sense. And, of course, what works for one nursery may not work for another.

In the right circumstances, bringing in an outside caterer has the potential to take a lot of hassle out of providing food. Dawn Phelps, who runs Healthy Roots catering in Kent, explains. 'If you have an in-house cook, somebody has to write the menu, somebody has to source the supplies and somebody has to buy the supplies, then you have to manage wastage, holiday and sickness absence,' she says. 'When you outsource, you don't have to think about anything.'

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