What We Do

The unique features of the canteen business it that while feeding hungry children at breakfast, we feed all children through the canteens and provide employment for many.

In providing breakfast food for children from disadvantaged backgrounds each morning before school it addresses a critical issue of food insecurity among children, which has significant negative impacts on their health, education, and overall wellbeing.

By providing a healthy and nutritious breakfast to children in need, the canteens can help to break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage, providing an essential foundation for the children to learn, grow, and thrive. Additionally, the program can also provide a sense of community and support for children and their families, helping to build stronger and more resilient community.

The canteens are operated providing breakfasts at most schools and providing well balanced food for all young growing students in all five schools through the canteens for lunch and recess. The canteen operations provide, in part, the cash flow and funding necessary for the provision of free breakfasts

The canteens are under the guidance of the Canteen Operations Manager who is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the five school canteens. This position involves managing a team of 12 casual staff, ensuring that the canteens are fully stocked with healthy food options, and maintaining a high level of customer service for students and staff.

The Canteen Team prepares most food offered in the canteens from local produce.

Our Operational Challenges in running 6 canteens

Procurement and supply chain management

Ensuring a steady and reliable supply of food items and other supplies needed to prepare breakfast and canteen items at reasonable prices. Cost of food is our single greatest cost at this time.

Storage and food safety

Ensuring that the food is stored in appropriate conditions and that all food safety protocols are followed. To minimise food costs each canteen requires additional appropriate freezer space to take advantage of bulk buying cost savings.

Staffing and training

Recruiting and training staff to prepare and serve the breakfasts, as well as managing volunteers and ensuring adequate staffing levels.

Funding and sustainability

Securing ongoing funding to support the program and developing strategies for long-term sustainability is a major challenge.

Coordination and communication

Coordinating with schools, parents, and community partners to ensure that the program is effectively reaching the target population and communicating program goals and outcomes to our supporters.

Evaluation and continuous improvement

Regularly assessing the effectiveness of the program and identifying areas for improvement, such as menu variety, program expansion and acquiring to reach more children in need.

How we do it all

Food for breakfasts is supplied by Food Bank and Oz Harvest, local bakeries and food prepared by our canteen staff.

Almost all our canteen food provided is made in-house by our canteen team. Menus are identical in all canteens and the same recipes and ingredients are used by all canteens. The Canteen Operations Manager visits each canteen regularly to ensure that consistency in presentation of content is achieved and ensuring the wellbeing of staff employed.

Produce comes from as many local suppliers as possible and on occasions produce from the school gardens is used.

All breakfasts provided are free.
Sales made through the five school canteens are at present the only form of income for Catering Maitland.
Canteen purchase orders are received on the Flexischools online ordering system. Parents can order the children’s meals for the next day or for the whole week online and pay online. The combined canteens receive 1,500 to 1,800 online orders each week.
Cash sales over the counter are also part of the canteen sales mix.
The canteens cater for school events on special occasions, like Principal’s lunches, Harmony Day, Mother’s and Father’s Days, Kindergarten Enrolment Days. At the start of school terms canteens cater for staff training days and staff morning teas. These catering events add to the income for each canteen.