Commercial kitchens specialists, The Airedale Group, defied the odds to deliver facility upgrades at 73 schools in 12 weeks over the summer months, helping Caerphilly County Borough Council meet their target for free school meals for all primary-aged children. Caerphilly was the only council in Wales to work with the Airedale Group on their school kitchen estate and was notable for finishing the project on time and within budget.
The Welsh Government first announced its plan to implement free school meals across all primary schools in 2021 to help alleviate child poverty during the cost-of-living crisis. Now, reports have begun to emerge of MPs and residents across England, Scotland, and Wales urging the expansion of the plan to children of all ages. However, this implementation first posed a challenge for many schools in Wales, with large numbers unable to service their entire pupil population with their current catering infrastructure.
The initial rollout began in 2023, with Airedale Group taking the reins and surveying the 73 schools over two weeks and delivering the new facilities over a 12-week period that included the summer break. Whilst some schools could meet the new level of demand with solutions as simple as extra fridge storage, some required the installation of entirely new kitchen facilities. As part of the business’s full turnkey service, Airedale Group took care of the building regulations, planning application and building control, demonstrating capability beyond expectation.
For schools like Upper Rhymney Primary School, the new provision meant facilitating free school meals for 138 children, with limited dining and kitchen space.
Airedale Group responded by installing a new catering facility for the school, utilising the premises’ outdoor space to deliver a purpose-built new building, constructed offsite and transported in for minimal on-site disruption. Onsite work featured levelling and sub-base preparation groundwork, with the final exterior touches including coordinating brick-effect walls to match the school’s current exterior. The commercial kitchen was then installed with the specialists from Airedale directing the entire project, from planning to post-implementation support.
Peter Oliver, Contracts Director at Airedale Group expressed his pride following the conclusion of the rollout saying, “Delivering such an ambitious number of projects in a 12-week window was challenging but was successful thanks to the great relationship built with the team at Caerphilly CBC, and the hard work and tenacity of the Airedale team.” Peter goes on, “while it was great to see the work unfold, it was the opportunity to engage with the children about the work that was happening at their school that we found the most gratifying. They were so interested, and helping the schools produce hot, nourishing meals for them was extremely rewarding.”
While Wales is the first UK nation to have implemented the plan, other areas are already considering following suit. The Airedale team are ready to utilise their expertise for all future bespoke projects, taking inspiration and expanding on the success of the developed footprint and one-stop solution, to guarantee the optimum delivery for each client.
Head Office
The Airedale Group, Airedale House, Battye Street, Bradford, BD4 8AG
01274 626 666
