---
title: "CHALKWELL HALL JUNIOR SCHOOL AND CHALKWELL INFANT SCHOOL CATERING SERVICE CONTRACT"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06c940"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c940"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c940.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c940.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SOUTHEND-ON-SEA CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-07-13"
---

# CHALKWELL HALL JUNIOR SCHOOL AND CHALKWELL INFANT SCHOOL CATERING SERVICE CONTRACT

Buyer: SOUTHEND-ON-SEA CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06c940

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c940)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c940.json)

## Summary

Southend-on-Sea City Council has awarded a contract for catering services at Chalkwell Hall Junior School and Chalkwell Infant School, located in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. The contract was directly awarded to Harrison Catering Services Limited due to challenges in maintaining an in-house catering solution. This procurement process, completed and valued at £678,000 over a three-year period starting from 1 September 2026, was initiated to ensure the delivery of healthy and nutritious meals that meet School Food Standards. The contracting process utilised a direct award method, focusing on service continuity for the upcoming academic year. The formal award date is set for 24 July 2026.

This tender provides a substantial opportunity for growth within the catering industry, particularly for businesses specialising in educational catering services. Large-scale catering companies, capable of delivering consistent and high-quality meals across multiple locations, would be well-suited to engage with similar contracts. As the sector emphasises nutritional standards and the wellbeing of pupils, companies with a proven track record in these areas will find ample scope to demonstrate their capabilities and expand their portfolio in educational institutions across the UK.

## Notice

To provide catering service for both Chalkwell Junior School and Chalkwell Infant School, Leigh-on-Sea. The catering service replaces the current arrangement of inhouse catering to further support the Schools' commitment to providing healthy, nutritious, safe, and appealing meals that contribute positively to pupils' wellbeing, educational outcomes, and overall school experience. The service is valued at PS678,000 over 3 years.

### Procurement Information

Southend-on-Sea City Council is publishing this notice on behalf of Chalkwell Hall Infant School and Chalkwell Hall Junior School, maintained schools within the local authority area. The Schools require the continued provision of catering services to ensure uninterrupted delivery of school meals and compliance with School Food Standards from September 2026. Prior to seeking an external provider, the Schools undertook three separate recruitment exercises to appoint a Head Cook and maintain an in-house catering service. These recruitment exercises were unsuccessful despite reasonable attempts to recruit suitably qualified staff. The Schools also undertook market engagement with a number of catering providers, with evidence retained within the procurement file. In the absence of a viable in-house solution and to mitigate the risk of disruption to essential catering provision for pupils, the Schools determined that a direct award was necessary to secure service continuity and maintain operational delivery from the start of the academic year. This notice is published through Southend-on-Sea City Council's procurement profile because the Schools are maintained schools and do not operate a separate contracting authority publication profile. The contract relates specifically to catering services for Chalkwell Hall Infant School and Chalkwell Hall Junior School.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065489-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £542,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SOUTHEND-ON-SEA CITY COUNCIL |
| Additional buyers | HARRISON CATERING SERVICES LIMITED |
| Locality | SOUTHEND-ON-SEA |
| Post town | Southend-on-Sea |
| Postcode | SS2 6FA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC |
| Local authority | South Oxfordshire |
| Electoral ward | Thame |
| Westminster constituency | Henley and Thame |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | HARRISON CATERING SERVICES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services
- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 55500000 - Canteen and catering services
- 80100000 - Primary education services

## Release History

- 13 Jul 2026 at 09:32 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065489-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065489-2026
  13th July 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.harrisoncatering.co.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c940. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c940.json.