When Dolce was appointed to manage the mobilisation and launch of a new-build school kitchen, the brief extended beyond equipment installation and menu delivery. The project was an opportunity to design a modern food environment from the ground up that would support healthy food choices, improve operational efficiency, and increase long-term engagement for pupils and staff.
Dolce working closely with the school, architects, and contractions in the early planning stages, ensuring the kitchen layout aligned with safety requirements, service flow, and future scalability. This collaborative approach ensured practical considerations, including sight lines, accessibility, and queue management. With Dolce being involved early on, it ensured the kitchen not only met compliance standards, but improved daily dining experiences.
A key element of the launch of the new-build school kitchen was the introduction of Dolce’s new counterware and hatch display branding, designed to create an attractive, clear, and intuitive service. The updated branding ensured visibility and consistency with menu items clearly marked, with uncluttered counters, improving presentation that boasted quality and careful food preparation. This was impactful, showing that first impressions can shape long-term behaviours.
The results were impressive and within the first year of rolling out the new counterware and hatch display branding, Dolce recorded a 6% increase in meal uptake nationally. At new-build school, staff and pupils responded positively to the improved service environment. The modern counters make it easier for students to make meal choices, speeding up service times, encouraging meal uptake during lunch times.
In addition to this, was the structured mobilisation plan that Dolce implemented to improve operational readiness behind the scenes, that included staff training, system testing, and soft-launching service days. The schools catering team were trained on equipment use, food safety, brand presentation, along with customer interaction, ensuring the new kitchen provided a consistent experience for students from the first day. This helped build staff pride, ownership, and confidence, that directly translated into improved service delivery.
This project was also supported by Dolce’s commitment to sustainability and future growth with the new-build kitchen including energy-efficient equipment and flexible service points, that allows the menu to evolve with dietary preferences and policy requirements. This approach was future-proof, ensuring the school can continually adapt without disruption, supporting financial sustainability with educational outcomes.
Overall, this successful launch of the new-build school kitchen, demonstrates Dolce’s ability to manage complex projects from ground to grown. With early-stage collaboration, operational planning, and impactful service design, complete with nationally proven branding that has improved uptake by 6%. Dolce created a dining experience that engages the pupils, empowers the catering staff, while laying a foundation for long-term success.
