School Meals

The school catering team offers boys a wide variety of wholesome, delicious food choices and encourages good nutritional habits and a healthy lifestyle. Boarders and day boys from across the school eat together each day in the Dining Hall and enjoy a wide range of tempting options. The weekly menus can be viewed in the parents’ section of the school website.

Typical Lunch Menu

Soup Station Chef’s soup of the day with baked croutons and freshly baked bread

Main Slow cooked beef chilli

Vegetarian Bean and vegetable chilli

Sides Vegetable rice, green beans, taco shells, guacamole, salsa and sour cream

Light Lunch Baked jackets or sweet potatoes served with toppings of baked beans, grated cheese, and a daily chef special. Pasta bar with tomato sauce and one other.

Salad Market Chef’s Special: Tuna Niçoise pasta, Big Bowl: Mexican mixed bean and chipotle dressing, Basic Salad Bar: Tomato, cucumber, peppers, lettuce, sweetcorn, beetroot, grated carrot, Salad Boosters: Oven baked croutons, flavoured oils, balsamic dressing, one other dressing, one protein (changed daily, such as boiled egg, chicken, ham or carved meats)

Cold Desserts Jelly and mousse pots, yoghurt bar and toppers, selection of whole fruit

Hot Desserts Apple and berry crumble with custard

Special Diets Desserts

Daily Selection of Gluten Free Cakes, Puddings and Desserts

Meal Arrangements

The following meals are included in your son’s fees:

Day Boys: lunches Monday to Friday during term time

Flexi Boarders: If boarding two nights, first day: lunch and dinner, second day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, third day: breakfast and lunch during term time. If boarding three nights, first day: lunch and dinner, second day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, third day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, fourth day: breakfast and lunch during term time.

Weekly Boarders: all meals from Monday breakfast to Saturday lunch during term time

Full Boarders: all meals during term time.

Special Dietary Requirements

If your son has special dietary needs for medical reasons, religious or personal beliefs, these will be catered for by our chefs. To help us ensure the right food is available for him, we ask that parents complete the dietary requirements section of the Medical Information form.

Any query you have on the catering arrangements should be raised with the Catering Manager in the first instance by emailing cateringmanager@ bedfordschool.org.uk, and thereafter with the Director of Finance and Operations, if necessary.

Parents of boys who have a special reason for not taking lunch in school should write to the Headmaster explaining the situation. If, in exceptional circumstances, permission to take lunch at home is given, there will be no reduction in fees.

Food Allergies

Bedford School provides all its catering through Chartwells, a leading contract catering company. In conjunction with Chartwells, the school seeks to ensure that suitable procedures are in place to manage all potential pupil allergy issues and obviously we are keen that all new pupils enjoy a positive dining experience from day one.

If your child has been diagnosed with a food allergy, please ensure you complete the Food Allergen form. Please note: this form must be completed and emailed to nurse@bedfordschool.org.uk by Monday 12 June.

The details of the allergy should be supported by a doctor’s or dietician’s diagnosis/assessment of their condition in writing. The correct medical information will ensure that Chartwells staff are able to identify specific allergens in ingredients which your child is allergic to, so that an appropriate diet can be provided.

Returning this form by the due date will allow Chartwells to evaluate and clarify this information where necessary, enabling them to make any specific arrangements or adjustments to ensure the most appropriate provision of school meals for your son.

Please ensure that you also inform us whenever there is a change to your child’s medical condition which may affect their food requirement, or if there is an update from the doctor regarding their food allergy.

We hope that you are able to assist the school through providing all necessary information required to enable the safe provision of school meals for your child. If you require any further information about Chartwells’ ‘Allergy in Schools Procedures’, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

We would ask that you do not send your child to school with treats for their classmates/friends, to avoid the risk of a child being inadvertently given something that may cause an allergic reaction. Please also note that nuts are not permitted on the school estate.