As the week draws to a close, we’re pausing to take stock of what’s shaping the education catering and support services landscape right now. From financial pressures and tech solutions to sustainability and integrated facilities management, schools and Multi-Academy Trusts are navigating a period of significant change.
Here are five key trends we’re seeing across education catering and wider support services – and why they matter.
1. Financial pressures are reshaping catering provision
Rising costs continue to place strain on education catering providers, with many operators struggling to remain viable. In the past year Hampshire Council and Cheshire East Council announced they were ceasing their school catering service, and education caterer CATERed announced just a couple of months ago that it is ceasing trading its school meals service in 2026.
This is reinforcing the importance of robust contract planning, clear exit strategies and contingency arrangements. For school leaders and Trust boards, resilience is becoming just as important as value for money when assessing catering partners.
2. Technology is driving efficiency – and equity
Cashless and cloud-based catering systems are firmly in the ‘essential’ category. Increasingly, they’re helping schools and Trusts to improve service speed, reduce queues, minimise food waste and gain better data on uptake and spend.
Crucially, these systems can also support inclusion. For pupils eligible for Free School Meals, cashless solutions remove stigma and help ensure equitable access – while giving schools clearer insight into how provision is being used across their communities.
3. Sustainability and food quality remain front of mind
Greater emphasis on local and seasonal sourcing, waste reduction and plant-forward menus is being seen across education catering – driven both by environmental targets and changing expectations from pupils, parents and staff. Research from ProVeg UK revealed that nearly half of parents (47%) support increasing the number of plant-based meals served in schools, highlighting a growing appetite for menus that support wellbeing, engagement and long-term outcomes.
4. When Multi-Academy Trusts centralise services, they spend less and get more from key budgets
As Trusts grow, they often inherit multiple catering and cleaning service providers and contracts. This can result in a fragmented landscape, with different providers operating under varying models – many of which aren’t as competitive or cost-effective as they could be.
Benchmarking plays a valuable role here, providing clear, delivered metrics that allow Trusts to understand how their costs and specifications compare with sector-specific market averages, and whether moving to a centralised service is the most effective route.
We helped one Trust – made up of 26 primary and secondary schools – centralise its catering provision with a single provider for the remainder of the contractual term. This delivered savings of around £200,000. As a result, all schools now benefit from greater consistency across sites and a far more streamlined management process for the Trust.
5. Cleaning and facilities management underpin wellbeing and value
High-quality cleaning and facilities management are increasingly recognised as foundational to safe, healthy learning environments. Professional contract cleaning services with experience in education settings can deliver measurable improvements in hygiene, health and safety compliance, and cost efficiency.
For school leaders, this can translate into something even more valuable: time and headspace freed up to focus on teaching, learning and pupil outcomes.
Whether you’re renegotiating catering contracts, exploring new technology, or considering a more integrated approach to support services, these trends all point in the same direction – the need for strategic, data-informed decision-making that balances cost, quality and long-term outcomes.
If you’d like to have an informal chat with us around how we can help support your catering and support services, get in touch with us here.
The Litmus Team
