At City Catering Southampton, we believe that access to good food is a right and not a privilege.
Therefore, we exist to make a tangible nutritional difference in people’s lives. We do this through serving School Food Plan and Food for Life compliant meals in 46 of Southampton’s schools whilst also delivering hot, nutritious care meals into the homes of vulnerable and elderly adults across the city. We are supported by a team of approximately 250 employees, and a small volunteer team who specifically support some of our charitable initiatives. Together, we stand by our motto of #FoodForGood.
As advocates for access to good food, we are acutely aware of the challenges many faces in the school holidays when the risks of food poverty increase. As a result, we work hard to support the increasing need for holiday provision for our Member schools. Our Lunch Crowd initiative sees us opening up school kitchens to serve family meals to those most in need, for free, supporting community or charity-run clubs. For this service to run, we are reliant solely on funding, grants and donations. Alongside this, in 2019 we launched and now facilitate a Holiday Provision Steering Group to bring together like-minded charities, organisations and individuals in order to improve and facilitate food and activity holiday provision for the local community.
In 2020, we enhanced our Lunch Crowd initiative in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and introduced our Cooking at Home with City Catering program that invites anyone and everyone to get inspired, gain confidence and explore more cooking from scratch to empower people to access good, affordable and simple home cooking. Together with our Lunch Crowd initiative and with huge thanks to fundraising, in the school holidays, we supply those families in attendance to clubs with the necessary ingredients to enable them to get the full benefit out of the program.
Our Care Meals service supports both Council-supported and private customers access to good food in their own homes, serving meals Monday-Friday and supporting with provision over the weekend. We have a dedicated and supportive team who do far more than simply deliver a meal – ensuring that our customers are well, cared for and receive regular hospitality and friendship in their days. Delivering to over 100 households, and lunch clubs a day – we know just how important good food is to help individuals thrive and stay independent.
In addition, we offer a corporate and office catering service, offering professional expertise and hospitality for businesses across the city. Our service is able to flexibly cater to the individual needs of your team, whilst giving organisations the reward of supporting a local charity – knowing their meal is going to support school children and vulnerable adults in the city.
