Welcome to ‘Tender Truths’ – a new Litmus series exploring the key questions, decisions and challenges schools and trusts face when reviewing their catering and cleaning provision and preparing to go to tender. Over the coming weeks, we’ll share practical advice to help you make informed decisions that work for your school.
This first instalment looks at in-house vs outsourced: should schools and MATs run their catering in-house or outsource it?
There’s no universal right answer.
Both models can deliver an excellent service – and both can fall short if they aren’t properly resourced, managed and aligned with what a school needs. Rather than starting with a preference for one model over the other, we’ve pulled together a handy list to help schools and MATs weigh up which approach is right for them.
| In-house | Outsourced |
| Greater direct control over menus, suppliers, staffing and the service Catering staff can be fully embedded in the school community Potential to make changes quickly and flexibly Direct visibility of costs and procurement No contractor management fee or margin Responsible for recruitment, training, procurement and covering staff absence | Access to specialist catering expertise and wider operational support Reduced day-to-day management responsibility for the school Access to wider resources, systems, training and support Potentially greater resilience around staffing and operational cover Potential for investment and innovation, depending on the contract Need to manage the service provider and ensure they are delivering value for money |
Neither model is automatically cheaper – or better. So what might influence the decision?
- Financial pressure: Food and labour costs are significant, and schools need to demonstrate value from every pound they spend. But the true cost of an in-house service goes beyond food and wages, while an outsourced service needs to be assessed against the full range of services and support included within the contract.
- Recruitment and retention: An experienced in-house team can be a huge asset, but schools need the management capacity and expertise to recruit, retain, train and support that team.
- Compliance and changing expectations: With changes to the School Food Standards, schools need to consider whether their current operation has the systems, expertise and resources to respond effectively.
- School leadership teams are already stretched: The question isn’t simply whether catering can be managed in-house, but whether the school has the time, skills and infrastructure to manage it well.
Start with the school, not the model
Before deciding whether in-house or outsourced is the best approach for your school or Trust, ask:
- What is our catering service really costing us?
- How does our performance compare with similar schools?
- What do pupils, parents and staff think?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of our current operation?
- Do we have the expertise and management capacity to run it effectively?
- What investment will be needed over the next few years?
And there’s an important third option to consider: you might not need to change the model at all.
If an outsourced contract isn’t delivering, improving contract management or renegotiating may be enough. Equally, an in-house operation that is struggling may be able to improve through better procurement, systems or management rather than moving immediately to an external provider.
The right catering model is the one that works for your school
The decision should balance cost, quality, compliance, expertise and resilience. Plus, most importantly, the experience of the pupils eating the food.
Before deciding what happens next, take a proper look at what you have now, what you need in the future and what each option will genuinely deliver.
If you’re considering your next catering tender, click here to find out more about how we can support you through the process. Or if in-house in where you want to be but you’re not sure where to start, read how technology like Litmus Edge can make things easy to manage from the get-go.
The Litmus team
