Eden Foodservice has filled the vacuum left by rival Scolarest’s decision to pull out of school meal provision in Bedfordshire.

The move to pick up the contract, worth £4.5m turnover a year, ensures more than two million school meals will continue to be delivered to 170 schools after the start of the new term this autumn.

Compass Group owned Scolarest, the UK’s largest school meals provider, pulled out of a long-term contract with Richmond Council in London and ended its association with Bedfordshire last month because it “was unable to agree commercial terms”.

Despite this, Eden, which is part of Rentokil Initial, has promised that the price of school meals will remain the same aside from any increases in inflation.

Bedfordshire County councillor Rita Drinkwater, cabinet member for education, said: “A number of organisations with excellent reputations competed for this contract, and I am confident that we have made a very good choice.”

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By Chris Druce

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