AwardedAwarded 25 March 2026
Invitation to Tender for the provision of Catering Services at Bishop Stopford School
Bishop Stopford School · Education
In brief
Bishop Stopford School awarded food and drink and catering work to Cucina Restaurants Limited on 25 March 2026.
The notice gives a value of £1,156,382 excluding VAT.
The contract runs for 3 years, up to 5 years with extensions, starting 1 September 2026.
The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.
Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.
What the notice says
Description Bishop Stopford School has decided to tender their catering services to investigate the financial and qualitative benefits they could be offered through this process. The contract will be awarded for a three-year duration with the option of two additional, one-year extensions. This is subject to the satisfactory performance of the work. Their preferred arrangement is for a guaranteed return of nil subsidy catering service, which operates a special agreement for VAT, but the School are open to suggestions. The quality of the service and the proposed budget for the second year 2027-28 will be reviewed three months before the expiry of the first twelve months. The School at this…Read the full description
Description
Bishop Stopford School has decided to tender their catering services to investigate the
financial and qualitative benefits they could be offered through this process.
The contract will be awarded for a three-year duration with the option of two additional,
one-year extensions. This is subject to the satisfactory performance of the work. Their
preferred arrangement is for a guaranteed return of nil subsidy catering service, which
operates a special agreement for VAT, but the School are open to suggestions.
The quality of the service and the proposed budget for the second year 2027-28 will be
reviewed three months before the expiry of the first twelve months. The School at this
time reserves the right to terminate the contract should either the quality or future costs be
unacceptable.
Aims of the Service
Bishop Stopford School wish to be at the forefront of educational catering and as such
require a modern, branded offer that reflects the leading trends in the industry.
Page 2 to 7
At this time, the School's wish is to commence a catering contract, with a partner who
shares their vision for a customer-focused service that attracts the maximum number of
students. The meals that are to be provided must be appealing to customers, imaginative,
provide good value for money and be nutritionally balanced to encourage all students to
make an educated choice.
The service is currently managed by a contractor, where the catering team have delivered
a good service to the students for many years. The School now feel that it is time to
refresh the current contract, to allow the service to be taken to the next level, which will
deliver the latest catering concepts and an even better service for its students.
The School's objectives for the new contract are as follows: -
* A catering service that is well managed and requires minimal involvement from the
School's management team.
* A strong Contractor Area Manager who will develop and lead the team to deliver
exceptional customer service, a consistently high-quality food offer and spend a
substantial amount of time on site at the outset to undertake this.
* A Contractor who is proactive in their relationship management with the School.
* Investment in the School's Catering service through increased marketing in return for a
tenure of contract.
* A higher number of students and staff using the facilities by providing a high quality,
affordable and nutritious meal.
* A catering service that encourages students to take a heathy and balanced meal.
* Food and drinks that look appetising and are attractively presented.
* A hospitality service that will help showcase the School through events to parents and
visitors.
* A Contractor that adopts a flexible and proactive approach to all School activities.
* A service that is professionally merchandised and marketed with discretion and to the
mutual benefit of the School and the Contractor.
* A Contractor that operates using the optimum level of staffing.
Who won
| Winner | Value | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Cucina Restaurants Limited 6 bids received | £1,290,176 | Awarded 25 March 2026 |
Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.
Timeline
- Tender notice · UK4, notice 002079-2026
- Contract award notice · UK6, notice 100076-2026
About the buyer
Bishop Stopford SchoolLast 12 months
Procurements
2Awards
2Suppliers it has used most for food and drink
- Cucina Restaurants Limited1 contract
Similar open tenders
All open food and drink tenders- £88.4mestimated
- £2.5mestimated
From notice 002079-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 10 January 2026, last updated 22 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 22 October 2026.