Our Story
Established in Sydney in 2007 with the simple idea of providing delicious catering, Vanilla Blue launched into schools in 2018 and quickly became trailblazers in canteen and school catering management. Currently located in 11 premium schools across Sydney with new schools being added regularly, we fuelled 8,700+ students and process over 35,000 online orders each month whilst maintaining a 98% satisfaction rating. Now that’s grade A.
OUR CAPABILITIES
We are a reputable catering organisation with a proven track record of running successful canteens in public and private schools across Sydney. We deliver unrivalled canteen solutions that offer freshly prepared and nutritionally-rich food, as well as value for money for the school community. Operations are supported by a strong team of reliable and experienced hospitality professionals. A large production kitchen based in Sydney’s Artarmon allows us to provide school catering services for any occasion.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
✔ Café style menu that staff and students love
✔ Wholesome dishes designed with reference to Healthy School Canteens guidelines
✔ Chef-made and prepared in small batches
✔ Menu rotation throughout the four terms
✔ Industry-leading sustainability practices
✔ Gold License accreditation for food safety
✔ Finalist Restaurant & Catering Awards – Site Industrial Caterer 2023
ON-SITE SCHOOL SERVICE
Establishing canteen operations on the school premises creates a hub for students and staff to gather for meals – from before school breakfast service through to evening study time snacks. Chef-prepared meals deliver the freshest quality and nutrition. Menu items can be pre-ordered online via Flexischools until 8.30am or chosen from a select over the counter menu. Payment methods are via cash, debit card and integrated student card.
DELIVERED SCHOOL SERVICE
Tailored for schools with 250 to 650 students, meals are prepared fresh from a centralised catering kitchen and delivered daily packed in class groups. The menu is offered three days to five days per week depending on the school community demand. Pre-order are to be submitted online by 8am daily via Flexischools for delivery ahead of lunchtime. Safety is of the highest priority, with a nominated driver selected for the school and strict food safety compliance in operation.
10
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS
8,700 +
MONTHLY STUDENTS FED
35,000 +
MONTHLY ONLINE ORDERS
Our Team.
Our passionate, experienced and reliable teams are dedicated to delivering the best possible food experience for the school community. We pride ourselves in our open communication with parents, students and staff to continuously improve our product and service offering. Our team build strong rapport with students and are often on a first-name basis.
Our Area Manager, Ellen Amato brings more than 12 years of hospitality experience in multi-venue operations management. She is passionate about combining quality product, sustainability, creativity and a memorable customer service experience. Ellen's results-driven leadership focuses strongly on team engagement. Each school canteen team is led by an experienced managers, senior chefs along with a specialised prep chefs for larger schools, who are supported by a team of supervisors, canteen assistants and admin.
Below are just a few of the great members from our 40+ staff within the division.
OUR
VALUES
SAFETY & HYGIENE
We take safety seriously and we are committed to achieving a high level of compliance and risk-minimising processes, including:
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Gold License accreditation for food safety practices
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Food Safety Supervisors monitor all food handling processes
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Food Handler Certification for all food preparation staff
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Well-documented compliance for equipment maintenance and food safety
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Safe Food Pro software management system used at all sites
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Ongoing staff training, including health and safety, allergy awareness and first-aid
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Rigorous cleaning and maintenance
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Refrigeration temperature checks and calibration carried out daily
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NSW Police Check
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NSW Working with Children Checks for all staff