Food at Cottesmore

"The standard of catering in the school is outstanding" - Ofsted Report.

At Cottesmore we are delighted that the excellence of our chef and his team has been further recognised with Tatler's award for Best School Food. Meeting the children’s nutritional needs is another of our top priorities.

Our inspections have awarded the high-quality catering at Cottesmore an ‘outstanding’ classification, while our match teas have been classed as ‘sensational’ in the Tatler Schools Guide. 

We use the award-winning schools catering company CH & Co and they understand the requirement for a nutritionally balanced diet which meets the needs of growing children who have a busy day, both in an out of the classroom.  Children with dietary restrictions, for example for medical or religious reasons, are easily accommodated. 

Our menu changes weekly and as in any family the children are able to have their say, knowing that their opinions will be listened to. The Food Committee meets every half term; a representative from each form puts forward suggestions for menu implementations and these are frequently incorporated. This can be as simple as asking for salad ingredients to be served separately rather than in a mixed salad, or requests that firm favourite Popcorn Chicken be served more frequently.

All food is home cooked here in our kitchens by our in-house team. We support local businesses and select those who can trace the provenance of their supplies from origin to delivery.

As well as enjoying three cooked meals every day, the children are offered nutritional snacks at morning and afternoon break-time as well as before bed; in addition a large basket of fresh fruit is always available. 

Those sensational match teas are served not only on match days, but at other events throughout the school year, for example after concerts, on Sports Day and on Old Cottesmorian's Day. The match tea menu is a blend of both savoury and sweet, with homemade cakes and éclairs proving especially popular.

In the summer term the pupils enjoy the occasional opportunity of cooking on barbeques (under close supervision). Cooking and eating alfresco in our superb grounds is a very popular summer-time treat for everyone.