Challenge: After the pandemic, St Mary's University needed to re-engage students who had missed a normal freshers' experience and rebuild demand for on-campus catering.
Solution: Avendra International's Client Procurement Manager worked with the university's catering team to plan a five-day "Reconnect Week", bringing in local and national suppliers for tastings and demonstrations alongside a menu relaunch.
Results: Strong student and staff engagement, valuable menu feedback that shaped new dishes, plans to repeat the event regularly, and ongoing support to transform the refectory into a cafe and bar.
As students and staff return to further education campuses after the pandemic, catering teams are wrestling with how to re-engage and build back demand.
Reconnect Week: bringing students back to campus dining
At St Mary’s University in Twickenham, a recent “Reconnect Week”, jointly planned by the universities’ catering team lead by St Mary’s catering manager Nik Santos and Avendra International's Client Procurement Manager Bal Mahal, has proved highly successful in reminding students of the on-campus facilities, as well as reinvigorating the in-house team, and showcasing the latest foodservice innovations.
Innovative breads presented by Delice de France
The move also reflects a significant investment the university is making, in upgrading its food and drink offer. The team is working with Avendra International on a number of improvements to create a cafe & bar that will encourage students to stay longer and enjoy the space, as well as generate more income.
“This year, we challenged ourselves to do something new and work hard to put hospitality to the fore. We had a whole year of students who hadn’t had a freshers experience,” said Nik.
Engaging students through supplier partnerships and feedback
Both local and national food suppliers were encouraged to book demonstration slots, taking space to present their offerings and new dishes for students and staff to taste. These included local supplier Gusto snacks, set up by a former student, as well as Delice de France, whose development chef wowed with his extensive knowledge and interaction with students.
Among pop-ups external to the refectory was the Vegan Fried Chicken mobile unit, which was among several well-received additions, reflecting a growing interest from students in vegan options, and in food provenance.
Bal confirms “I had three weeks to pull the five-day event together. “I was really impressed by the effort suppliers made, bringing in development chefs and providing goody bags for the students.
The event was timed to coincide with a menu relaunch, allowing the university’s chef to promote new menu items, and get valuable feedback. It became clear that some suppliers’ sampled products would be worth adding to the menu.
Sample smoothies from Innocent
The impact of Reconnect Week on student engagement
“The idea of Reconnect Week combined with promotions and having mobile food service units outside was well received by both students and staff. As we don’t have any other food outlets close by, for us it’s about building the engagement. Avendra International is supporting us to rework the refectory space into a cafe and bar, creating a social space that includes a large screen TV for showing sporting events,” said Nik.
Bal adds, “Suppliers are providing input and helping to design new menu offerings,” said Bal, and we’ve moved away from Starbucks, replacing them with Tchibo – we’re also introducing a wine selection.”
It was a very good way to relaunch our service offering with students. I’m grateful to Avendra International for organising the Reconnect Week at such short notice. It was a real success story and we are keen to repeat it on a regular basis. We want to innovate, and keep being creative,” said Nik
Looking to improve your university's foodservice experience?
If you are looking for procurement and supply chain support, please contact us at hello_UK@avendra.com
FAQs
How can Avendra International help universities re-engage students with on-campus catering?
Avendra International works with university catering teams to plan engagement activities such as supplier showcase events and menu relaunches, helping build back demand for on-campus food and drink outlets by giving students fresh options and a reason to return to the refectory or cafe.
What is the Avendra Pi eProcurement system and what does it offer?
Pi is Avendra International's cloud-based eProcurement platform, bringing procurement, catering, operations and finance together in one system. It gives education caterers a single source of truth for purchasing, inventory and invoicing, with online ordering, supplier deliveries, budget management, stock control, waste management, and menu and allergen management, accessible from any browser with full training and ongoing support.
Can Avendra International help organise supplier demonstration events or menu relaunches on campus?
Yes. Avendra International's supplier network can be brought in to run demonstration slots and tastings as part of a menu relaunch, giving catering teams direct feedback from students and staff on new dishes before they are added to the permanent menu.
Does Avendra International support catering space redesigns, such as new cafés or bars on campus?
Yes. Avendra International supports universities with catering space refurbishments and new foodservice concepts through its FF&E services. This includes design and refurbishment partnerships, site surveys, supplier selection, commercial kitchen and bar equipment, furniture, and full installation to help create modern dining, café, and social spaces.
Can Avendra International help universities improve their food and beverage offer?
Yes. Avendra International supports universities with food and beverage procurement through flexible solutions tailored to their needs. Universities can access pre-negotiated supplier contracts with competitive pricing, quality and service already agreed, or choose a bespoke procurement solution with tailored supplier agreements, pricing and service negotiations. This can help catering teams improve value while maintaining the quality and choice expected by students and the wider campus community.
