Camden drops Scolarest for school meals

Compass Group division Scolarest has been dropped by the London borough of Camden as its school meals provider.

The three-year, £2.5m deal has been awarded to Caterlink, a corporate partner of BaxterStorey, after a four-way bid.

Scolarest's was graded the poorest bid by the council (57.3%) and was criticised for serving healthy meals at only half of the borough's schools three years into the contract. The council's summary report stated: "The panel were not confident that the necessary improvement required would be put in place or sustained if Scolarest were appointed."

The other bidders were Caterhouse (which scored 58.8%) and Harrison's (63.2%). Caterlink, which is entering the primary school market for the first time, was marked 71.2%.

School catering has been the target of an ongoing campaign in the borough, with parents increasingly vocal about the quality of meals served.

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