This month marks one year since we began a new chapter as Lodestone House.
Not by starting over, but by building on more than 50 years of experience in independent education catering. Our new identity brought together the very best of our heritage with a clear vision for the future, creating a brand rooted in what matters most to schools, pupils and parents.
Over the past year, we've continued to work alongside our schools, pupils and teams to bring that vision to life every day. While our identity may have evolved, our commitment to exceptional food, meaningful education and doing the right thing for people and planet remains as strong as ever.
At the heart of everything we've achieved are our people. Behind every meal served, every workshop delivered and every dining space brought to life are passionate teams whose creativity, dedication and care help create experiences that nourish, educate and inspire every day.
Bringing Garden to Kitchen to Classroom to Life
Over the last 12 months, we've focused on turning our vision into action through our Garden to Kitchen to Classroom philosophy.
Guided by this approach, we've continued to champion quality seasonal ingredients, freshly prepared wholesome food and menus designed to help pupils thrive. By connecting food, education and wellbeing, we're helping young people develop a positive relationship with food that supports both learning and lifelong healthy habits.
Alongside our menus, we've expanded our food education programme, helping to educate more than 45,000 young people through workshops, assemblies and hands-on learning experiences that bring nutrition, sustainability and food literacy to life. More than 4,000 pupils also took part in our Stop Food Waste activities, encouraging positive behaviours that can make a lasting difference both in school and at home.
In the past year alone, we've served more than 9.6 million lunches across our schools, ensuring pupils have access to nutritious, delicious meals every day while continuing to celebrate seasonal produce and support responsible sourcing.
Our growing commitment to social value
Our commitment to social value has continued to grow alongside the evolution of Lodestone House.
Over the last year, we've strengthened our focus on responsible sourcing, environmental responsibility and supporting the communities we serve. Through our nationwide litter pick challenge, pupils and colleagues collected the equivalent weight of 255 schoolbooks in litter, demonstrating how small actions can create meaningful change.
We're committed to doing the right thing for people and planet in the choices we make every day, from championing seasonal ingredients and responsible sourcing to creating opportunities that help pupils better understand the connection between food, health and sustainability.
The same commitment extends to our own people. This year, we achieved 100% of our internal team development target, investing in the growth and wellbeing of the talented individuals who bring our vision to life every day.
How has this evolution been received by our clients?
One of the most rewarding parts of the past year has been hearing directly from the schools we work with.
Marymount International School spoke of the support they receive from Lodestone House, stating that:
"The support we received from Lodestone House is absolutely fantastic.
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Similarly, The Perse School commented on their experience partnering with us, saying that "The Lodestone House nutritional team and medical team are absolutely fantastic. We couldn't wish for a better group of people to work with."
We're also proud to have retained 28 school partnerships over the past year, reflecting the trust placed in us by the schools and communities we serve.
As we celebrate our first anniversary as Lodestone House, we'd like to thank our teams, schools, pupils and parents for being part of the journey so far. We're proud of what we've achieved together, grateful for the relationships we've built, and excited for what comes next.
