School kitchen staff in London

Yes. Every chef, cook, or kitchen assistant we place into a London primary, secondary, or MAT holds an Enhanced DBS certificate with the Children's Barred List check completed. That is the legal requirement under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) for anyone working in regulated activity with children. The certificate is verified and logged before the first shift. We do not substitute Standard DBS or Basic DBS into schools under any circumstances.

Yes. All chefs on our schools bench are trained on the School Food Standards (England), which cover the statutory nutrition rules for starchy foods, fruit and vegetables, protein, dairy, and restricted foods (deep-fried, pastry, confectionery). For London academies, free schools, and independent schools operating to different standards (IFST, MAT-specific catering specs) we match chefs who have worked that specific standard before. Menu-building and portion control follow the School Food Plan framework.

Yes. Multi-academy trusts running catering in-house across several London boroughs are a growing slice of our work. For MAT bookings we assign an account lead and hold a named bench for that trust, so the same five to eight cooks rotate across the schools rather than a different face every week. Enhanced DBS, KCSIE training, and safer recruitment checks are aligned to the trust's central HR requirements before the first cover shift.

School cover is time-critical because lunch service is fixed at 11:30-12:30 or 12:00-13:00 and cannot slip. For schools inside W1, EC1-EC4, SE1, WC1, and WC2 we aim to have a named cook en route within 60-90 minutes, confirmed inside two hours. For outer London borough schools (most of the state primary estate) the honest window is 24 hours, though in practice we often deliver same-day cover when the bench is warm. Call before 7:30am and we move faster.

Yes. Allergen management in a school kitchen is stricter than in hospitality because the child who reacts may not be able to read the label or refuse a dish themselves. All our school cooks are Natasha's Law trained and every kitchen assistant carries allergen awareness training. For children with multiple allergens, medical diets (coeliac, phenylketonuria, diabetes), and halal or kosher provision, we match cooks who have run those specific matrices in a school setting before, not just in hospitality.