Cucina: a fresh vision for food in the 21st century
Cucina has won the contract to provide catering services for more than 1,100 pupils and more than 100 staff at four primary schools in Cambridgeshire. Cucina will be delivering catering services to Abbey Meadows Primary School, Morley Memorial Primary School, Newnham Croft Primary School and Ridgefield Primary School in Cambridgeshire after Easter.
Cucina has recruited award-winning chef Ian Morgan, who has previously worked with Michelin starred chef Gary Rhodes, to create fantastic fresh food for all four Primary Schools, which are feeder schools for The Parkside Federation charity in Cambridgeshire.
Innovative menus designed by a top nutritionist will be introduced to ensure that all pupils and staff will benefit from the fresh, great tasting food provided by Cucina restaurants.
Ian helped open “Rhodes”; the successful Gary Rhodes restaurant in Manchester and has also held the position of Head Chef at the famous Hotel Felix in Cambridge.
Steve Quinn, Managing Director of Cucina, said: “We are delighted with the news of our recent gains in Cambridgeshire and are pleased that our fresh food approach is separating us from our competitors in the field. This gives us another great opportunity to work with pupils who would otherwise not have access to fresh hot food at School. We believe passionately that food has a vital role in our well-being and are confident that our menus and approach are already seeing numbers of meals served rise here too as they have in all other sites we have opened. We are over the moon that Ian Morgan has decided to join us too. Ian’s skills and experience fit perfectly in with the chefs we already employ who are already part of the team. Employing a chef of the quality of Ian’s calibre, who has worked alongside Michelin chefs like Gary Rhodes, to create innovative menus and train existing staff, should help us go from strength to strength and will have real benefits to the pupils and parents at these fantastic schools.”
Don Grant, Head of Corporate Services for The Parkside Federation, said: “Cucina is part of our vision of catering for healthy eating in the 21st century. Cucina will move everything further forward. It’s about treating students as young adults and giving the students a flavour of different, nutritional foods. We are focusing on opportunities for the students and Cucina has provided a package so ahead of anything else that we have seen.”
Chris Beddow, Head Teacher of Abbey Meadows Primary School, said: “We chose Cucina because they had a real vision for what they can do for us. This will be so exciting for the school children to experience. I wanted to offer the children a better dining experience. Part of the attraction of Cucina is that everything except frozen peas and sweetcorn is fresh. This freshness is what we want to provide for the children. Since we’ve decided on Cucina, the children, pupils and staff are so excited about trying their lunchtime meals.”
Jenny Collier, Head Teacher of Morley Memorial Primary School, said: “Cucina did the best presentation. The food looked really good. Cucina is responsive to the children and the menu’s looked interesting. When we visited the school in Kettering where Cucina has been providing catering for over a year, the pupils were so pleased with Cucina and they all knew their favourite meals. Cucina stood out and will cook for our inset day in the summer term.” Jacky Jones, Head Teacher of Newnham Croft Primary School, said: “We were extremely impressed by the quality of Cucina’s food and the professionalism of the service. Cucina has a passion about providing a really good meal for our children at lunch time which is exactly what we want for our school. We particularly like the fact Cucina is going to be working with the curriculum, alongside our staff and children during events such as our international week and parents’ evenings. This is exciting. We wanted a proactive firm working with our parents and this is what we’ve got with Cucina.”
Ray Doe, Head Teacher of Ridgefield Primary School, said: “Cucina fulfil everything I want in my school; nutritionally balanced food, a commitment to the children’s well-being at lunch time, high standards of service and a commitment to increase the number of children who eat a hot meal. Cucina showed an innovative approach; showing the children the food at the hatch, so they can see what they will be eating and free taster sessions for the parents. Cucina shows a really sensible approach to marketing. They make the experience of eating school lunches enjoyable. They have good signage and a good information flow. We are really looking forward to trying Cucina’s food. I visited a school in Kettering who already eat Cucina’s food, where I saw the quality of food on offer and spoke to the children. They were incredibly enthusiastic about Cucina.”
Morley Memorial Primary School has 409 pupils and 40 staff, Abbey Meadows Primary School has 320 pupils and 19 staff, Ridgefield Primary School has 200 pupils and 30 staff and Newnham Croft Primary School has 239 pupils and 26 staff.
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PHOTOS (300dpi+) and more information at http://www.marketingprojects.co.uk/clientpo/59/news
Notes to Editors
Cucina was founded by Steve Quinn, a food and support services professional with 24 years experience within the industry, working with international hotel groups such as Rank, Thistle, Hilton and Concorde (in France), as well as contract catering firms Sodexho (formerly Gardner Merchant) and the Compass Group. Steve works with a team of top chefs and professionals to ensure that his vision of great food is truly embraced and delivered.
Cucina’s restaurants are fast growing and currently deliver specialist catering services to:
1. Southfield Specialist Schools for Girls, Kettering, Northants: Specialist Sports College with 1960 pupils aged 11-18, www.southfield.northants.sch.uk
2. The Harefield Academy, Middlesex: A Specialist Sports Academy with 860 pupils aged from 11-18 as well as Watford FC Academy Players www.theharefieldacademy.org
3. Sandhurst School, Berkshire: State Secondary School with 1200 pupils aged 11-18 www.sandhurst.bracknell-forest.sch.uk
4. Driffield Junior School, East Yorkshire: Junior School with 564 pupils aged 7-11
5. St.Mary’s Primary School, Northamptonshire: Primary School with 276 pupils
6. Edgbarrow School, Berkshire: State Secondary School with 1260 pupils aged from 11-18. www.edgbarrow.bracknell-forest.sch.uk
7. Millbrook Infants School, Northants: Infant School with 350 pupils aged 5-11
8. St.Andrew’s C of E Primary School, Northants: Junior School with 230 pupils aged from 7-11
What Clients say about Cucina:
Lynda Lorentzen, bursar for Southfield School for Girls Specialist College, said:
“The standard of food at Southfield now wouldn’t be out of place in a restaurant and all the fresh fruit and vegetables on offer ensure that the girls get the nutrients they need”. Prior to Cucina’s involvement, less than 10 per cent of students and staff paid for school meals and most opted to bring in their own packed lunch which often included crisps and chocolate. Now more than 500 girls enjoy a cooked meal at lunch time.”
Dr Phil Bassill, Director of Resources and Business Development, at The Harefield Academy said: “The children at The Harefield Academy benefit from healthy, well prepared, exciting food from Cucina. We have seen Cucina’s positive influence on the students’ energy, behaviour and attention spans. Before Cucina was brought in, a significant number of students were choosing not to eat at The Academy restaurant, but Cucina has really turned this around.”
6th former Cassie Watts was one of the students on the selection panel for the new catering contract at Southfield School for Girls said: “I chose Cucina because when they made their presentation they spoke to us, not just to the adults. After all we’re their biggest customers, not the adults. And they have delivered exactly what they said they would. It’s the best decision we ever made” Contact Cucina
Press Office: Marketing Projects Telephone: 01244 330000 Jane Harrad-Roberts Mobile: 07785 395705 Phil Brotherhood Mobile: 07884 493370 info@marketingprojects.co.uk www.marketingprojects.co.uk
Please view the website for press releases or photos which are available on request at www.marketingprojects.co.uk in Cucina’s press office.
Recent press stories:
The Guardian: Southfield School for Girls pupils are fully engaged in their meal choices and are now eating healthily thanks to Cucina http://education.guardian.co.uk/schoolmeals/story/0,,2186556,00.html
School Food Trust: Cucina inspiring dissatisfied students to give school meals a try again: http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/stacker_detail.asp?Contentid=465
Times Education Supplement: School meal takings have soared as heavenly gastro grub has kicked Jamie Oliver into touch. http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2316530
For Cucina’s top recipes: http://www.marketingprojects.co.uk/clientpo/59/news/736
For more information on the Food Based Standards visit: http://www.marketingprojects.co.uk/clientpo/59/news/751
Client Contact: Cucina Restaurants Ltd Telephone: 0845 3891320 Steve Quinn Email: steve@cucina.co.uk Managing Director Website: www.cucina.co.uk
