Can anyone explain to me how these people sleep at night? I just don’t understand how a company that feeds kids can see a profit rise of 30% as anything other than a damning indictment of the quality of their food and treatment of their workers.
I mean don’t get me wrong, I understand that it’s a business and that a profit is one of the aims of that. My dad was a very successful food manufacturer and had a profitable business in that for a long time. But his key thing was quality - with quality, fair pricing and fair treatment of people came good business. And he stood his ground against the big (Aussie) supermarkets on this and won. I just don’t understand this alternative approach.
@CatherineFlick Plus there’s just that possibility (but I don’t know for sure) that their contract was not won through the normal channels of pricing and competition. I could, of course, be entirely wrong in this but a litany of government-awarded contract scandals over the past few years (in particular) has turned me into a suspicious cynic.
@CatherineFlick the competion here is not about quality though. The schools will have to take the lowest bidder. If the only thing you let companies compete on is price then the quality will always be low. Its not the schools fault either as they don't have any money to pay for better quality. It was these children who caused the 2008 financial crisis so its them that must pay. It does not excuse the people involved but its not like there is any pressure to do anything else.
@CatherineFlick I think it’s the part where you said profit is “one of” the aims. I think in late-stage capitalist reality it’s the only one, which is pretty tragic.
@wzdd PS I added an o ring to my tap thing and it’s perfect now, thanks for the suggestion!
@CatherineFlick OK! I wonder why the hell it didn't come with an O-ring.
@choffee gotta say though if you’re making profit enough that they’re up 30% you’re going well below the quality you can get at the price point I suspect
@choffee @CatherineFlick the thing that gets me here is that contracts mean the Southampton school mentioned are tied in, despite there now being a city wide coop which does good quality school dinners at near cost price. Why doesn’t the contract have an escape clause if the supplier fails to deliver on what they’re being paid for?
Sorry to interject, but schools do *not* have to select solely on cost.
Schools have several routes to purchasing things like catering - for example using frameworks:
https://buyingforschools.blog.gov.uk/2023/05/25/a-beginners-guide-to-using-frameworks-for-school-buying/
That allows them to select on exactly what they value - which might be cost, or quality, or variety, or SLA etc
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-a-dfe-approved-framework-for-your-school
Undoubtedly some schools do go for the cheapest - but they can fire their caterer if they don't perform to standard.
@choffee @CatherineFlick
Like, don't get me wrong, this company sound like arses.
But at least schools now have a chance to change away from crappy caterers if they're delivering slop.
@Edent @CatherineFlick I will hold my hands up to no knowing the details. My comment about cost was a more general one on the financial pressure schools find themselves under.
Haha! A mini-one-stop-shop for all your bullying. Two victims for the price of one!
@CatherineFlick @Edent @choffee I made the same mistake & wouldn’t have realised without your post.
@Edent @CatherineFlick @choffee interesting, thanks!
As chair of our primary schools PTA, it is always frustrating when the school cannot use local people to provide goods and services and their hands are tied to the county council approved suppliers list.
Good to know there are means for local businesses to get 'in the door' provided the managers of the frameworks are open to this. I'd guess framework agreements work at council level, not per school!
@Slash909uk I don't know where you live, but local suppliers can usually register on council frameworks.
See, for example, https://westberks.gov.uk/procurement
Most frameworks that I've seen are somewhat size agnostic. Although a sole trader is unlikely to win a contract to build a new school by themselves 🙂
@Edent I'm in Woolton Hill, Hampshire (but almost West Berkshire.) Looks similar for Hampshire frameworks too 👍
https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/contracting-direct
Not sure if they cover any of our PTA work building outdoor learning facilities.. I'll take a look.
Thank you!
@cloudhopper hard same. Apparently the school has no choice either