As part of our wider work to give students the best experience possible and investing in our staff and students, we are looking at alternative options for catering on our Canterbury campus. This includes investigating options around outsourcing, if an appropriate partner can be found.

We are really proud of the work that has been done by our catering team to continuously deliver a high quality of service on campus, in the face of rising costs and challenging external factors. In order to continue to improve the catering experience on campus and cater to the evolving needs and wants of our staff and students, we are aware that future investment is needed.

We will be looking to use this as an opportunity to invest in our outlets and technological infrastructure, modernise our facilities and introduce well-known and recognisable brands to improve the experience of our staff and students and supporting a healthy community on campus.

A key part of the process will be finding a provider who can support and align with Right to Food objectives, ensuring healthy and affordable food is readily available for staff and students on our campuses. It will also include looking for a partner that can deliver development opportunities for our catering staff and minimise disruption to our workforce as well as the staff, students and visitors who eat on campus.

During this process we will continue to value and work with our excellent catering team and ensure they are supported throughout and that they are able to continue to deliver the high-quality service they currently provide.

We are at the very beginning of this journey and have just started a competitive tender. No decisions have been made regarding the future catering provision, but we will keep you informed if and when things change.