Jarvis Chairman visits Hereford

The former Minister of Transport and London Mayoral candidate Steven Norris taste-tested Herefordshire’s school dinners during a recent visit to the county – and hailed the £1.50 meal a culinary success.

Mr Norris, the Executive Chairman of York-based Jarvis plc, was so impressed by the cooking at St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Fownhope, near Hereford, that he dubbed the £1.50 lunch “the best value for money” in the county.

Mr Norris visited St Mary’s on January 16 to see for himself how Herefordshire Jarvis Services (HJS), which is a joint partnership between Jarvis plc and Herefordshire Council, was performing. 
 
HJS was established in 2003 as a joint venture between Herefordshire Council and Jarvis plc.

The 10-year contract was the first of its kind in the UK and covers the provision of services such as school and civic catering, road repairs, building and grounds maintenance, street and office cleaning and recycling.

Mr Norris said: “Herefordshire Jarvis Services is one of the most interesting and innovative partnerships in the country.

“It covers a comprehensive range of services and continues to flourish.

“From our point of view we are proud of that association and we are delighted that the contract is creating better service provision which is benefiting all of Herefordshire’s ratepayers.   

“The meal I had at St Mary’s C of E Primary School was fantastic value for money – it’s the best £1.50 I’ve ever spent. All the staff are doing a tremendous job.

“There is a lot of interest in children being properly nourished at school. This school continues to improve on that front and the encouraging aspect for us is not only do we provide the meals but we also look after the buildings and grounds maintenance, which have also improved.”