Catering managed by Ridgeway Education Trust from September 2024
We are pleased to announce that catering is provided ‘in-house’ from September 2024. Supported by Ridgeway Education Trusts’ Executive Head Chef Tim Gills and Laura Jones Catering Operational Manager, Lisa Roberts and her team are looking forward to the new school year as a part of the All Saints team. We feel this move will provide us with more control to ensure our school lunches provide a nutritious filling meal that our children will enjoy. This move will also give us more control as costs rise to ensure the school lunches remain as cost effective as possible.
School meals cost £2.50 per day.
RIDGEWAY EDUCATION TRUST STAFF bio's
Tim gills - executive chef
Hi my name is Tim Gills and I have been the Executive Head Chef for RET since August 2021. My interest in food and catering started at quite a young age, my grandparents ran a B&B near the Lake district and during the school holidays we would go and stay with them. I would get up early so that I could help my Granny prepare breakfast for the guests- the smell of Bacon cooking takes me straight back to her kitchen! I got a Saturday job whilst I was at secondary school working on one of the greengrocers in Oxford's covered market, I used to take deliveries to cafes, restaurants and college kitchens and was fascinated by how busy they were. I spent a week doing work experience in the kitchen at Lincoln college and after that I knew that I wanted to be a chef. I got an apprenticeship at Balliol college and after I had completed my training I was encouraged to leave and gain experience, I am lucky to have worked with and learned from some brilliant people in hotels, health clubs, restaurants and colleges and am glad to be able to call on this experience to help me to do my job. My job involves a wide range of responsibilities; from placing orders and managing the trust's catering budgets to working in the kitchen and bringing in new suppliers, no two days are the same, and I really enjoy it.
I live in Abingdon with my wife and 3 young children. I enjoy travelling, spending time with family, cycling, running, walking our dog and of course cooking and eating great food!
LAURA JONES - CATERING OPERATIONS MANAGER
My name is Laura Jones, and my interests are all about food! I enjoy going to food festivals, watching cooking shows, anything to do with food I enjoy, but do also enjoy music, walking and traveling I started to look for a job within a kitchen and Didcot Girls School had a position, part time, working in the kitchen which suited me as my children were both at school. Right at the start of my career I knew I wanted to be a Catering Manager, so I learnt the ropes and studied for years to get the qualifications I needed. I have had many roles at Didcot Girls School starting at Catering Assistant and moving on to Study Café Supervisor, Deputy Manager and Catering Manager. My current job role is Hospitality Manager part time for Didcot Girls’ School in addition to being Ridgway Education Trusts Catering Operations Manager.
My Job roles as RETs (Ridgeway Education Trust) Catering Operations Manager includes overseeing HACCP /Food safety/ Health safety as well as Finance, Admin, Marketing/Business Development. I also support staff with training,
SPECIAL DIETS
All Saints are committed to provide meals for children needing special diets for medical and cultural reasons, where possible. Please let us know if your child requires a special diet.
Universal Infant Free School Meals
The universal infant free school meals policy, launched in September 2014, entitles every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to a free lunch at school every day.
If you are not yet taking up this offer - or indeed if your child is in Years 3 - 6 and not having school lunches, you may be interested in reading this article from The Independent School Food Plan
Lunch Orders
Please ensure that your child's lunch is ordered via School Gateway by 8:00am on the day it is required.
Lunch Payments
Lunch payments should be made online via School Gateway.
Packed Lunches
If you provide your children with packed lunches, please ensure that the lunches are healthy – no sweets or fizzy drinks please. We are a nut free school so please do not include any nuts or products containing nuts in your child's lunch box.
