FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Chartwells Universities, the education arm of Compass has been awarded a 10-year contract, valued at £58 million with Swansea University to introduce a new catering operating model, focused on “Ultimate Convenience”.
The contract, which was awarded following a competitive dialogue process, represents a fundamental step change in university catering, which Chartwells Universities says is driven by its “desire to innovate its offer to meet the ever-changing wants and needs of students”.
The new operating model, which was informed by an extensive research project to understand how the behaviours of Gen Z consumers have evolved through the pandemic, is the culmination of a significant period of development.
The findings revealed that Gen Z had four key motivating factors when making food and drink purchases: taste, speed, convenience, and choice; all of which formed the basic principles behind the offer.
The deal with Swansea University, which started in January 2022, provides a blend of Chartwells Universities’ own brands, such as Hollo Pollo, Bamboo, and Liberty Grill, alongside several high street favourites, including Subway, Greggs, and Tortilla, which will operate under franchise agreements.
The development plan will see the University’s Refectory space on Singleton Campus converted into a new social hub by the end of 2022, which will be renamed the Swansea Social Hideaway. A second social hub will be created on Bay Campus in place of the current Core catering outlet. These will provide multifunctional, tech-enabled social spaces where students and staff can meet, work, socialise, eat, drink and dwell in a number of settings.
Chartwells Univerisities’ research also found that Gen Z spend on average, four hours, and 15 minutes on the phone each day. With the takeaway market experiencing a 46 per cent increase throughout the pandemic, the ultimate convenience model taps into these macro trends with an omni-channel consumer experience, enabling students to benefit from multiple functionalities through its Uni Food Hub app.
The app allows students and staff to place food and drink orders for collection or delivery at locations across campus, as well as offering loyalty points and a parent wallet top up option. Students will also be able to access educational nutritional content, book in for cooking classes, give back to their local community via volunteering opportunities, and book tickets for events across campus.
Further brand partnerships with Pizza Pilgrims and Hello Fresh mean students can also order cook-at-home food boxes to be delivered to their halls or accommodation.
Relationship with external delivery platforms also means that, in serviceable locations, the offer will also be available for delivery within the local area, providing a service to the local community, as well as students living off-campus.
Kerry Ford, Managing Director, Chartwells Universities said: “This tender submission was the culmination of a significant period of development that we believe will fundamentally change the way students view and engage with the food and beverage offer across Universities. Every element of the offer is deep-rooted in insight and has been specifically moulded around the wants and needs of students.
“We truly believe this is a significant evolution in University catering, moving away from trying to compete with the high street, and bringing in leading technology, brands and trends to create an attractive offer that meets the needs of today’s students.
“We’re passionate about providing a fantastic experience to support students’ time at university, but also investing in the communities we operate. This model allows us to provide employment and career opportunities, while also enriching the delivery options available to the surrounding community around campus.”
Ben Lucas, Associate Director of Commercial Services at Swansea University, said: “The bid from Chartwells Universities really stood out due to its truly innovative format. Clearly, a lot of thinking has gone into understanding what trends are shaping consumer behaviours amongst Gen Z customers, before pulling together disparate trends and pieces of technology into one coherent operating model.”
FMJ in conjunction with Grundon Waste Management have launched the 2022 survey into how FMs approach their waste management and recycling responsibilities.
It’s the fifth year for the annual appraisal, and as we return to normal, there is a real opportunity for FMs to reappraise their waste and recycling operations and look at new, smarter waste management strategies.
In order to understand how FMs have navigated their way through the last year and their plans for meeting stringent waste and recycling targets we’ve posed a series of questions which include insights into FMs’ waste management strategy and targets, such as zero waste and landfill, the types of waste organisations produce and what helps FMs promote waste management in their organisations?
Please share your experiences and opinions on waste management. The survey will take just five minutes to complete, and as a thank you for taking part, respondents will be entered into a prize draw to win a £150 Amazon gift card.
To take part click here.
