Andrew Hailes

Andrew Hailes, Catering Director at the prestigious independent school Cheltenham College, has been catering for 13 to 18 year old pupils for over 15 years. Overseeing a slick kitchen operation that averages 1,750 covers a day, Andrew and his well established team also cater for the numerous staff members as well as many school and non-school events.

With the requirements of his diners ranging from nutritionally analysed student breakfasts, lunches and dinners to staff parties through to weddings, Andrew’s absolute insistence on the best quality food, service and dining experience ensures a successful result every time. “Quality is number one here at Cheltenham College Catering,” Andrew states, “we only use products we can rely on to give a good quality result.

With an ethnically diverse range of pupils and staff at the school, rice features heavily on the menu as a staple ingredient to many diets. “We use rice every day on the menu in one form or another. Tilda Easy Cook Basmati Rice is a very important ingredient in our daily catering operation. On the menu we have Stuffed Peppers with Cashew Nuts and Red Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Basmati Rice as a very popular vegetarian option. We also have two Tilda rice dishes on the salad bar, plus we have created a delicious Broad Bean and Asparagus Basmati Rice Risotto for a function at lunchtime.”

With such a vast requirement for good quality rice, Andrew looks to Tilda to supply him with the quality and consistency he needs. “Tilda Rice is the best by far. Using Tilda Basmati means that I can trust any one of my team to cook with it and know we will get perfect rice results every time.”

One of the biggest challenges Andrew has faced recently has been the food price inflation felt by most catering operations across the country. “With the increase in food costs we have to cut our cloth accordingly. We cannot, however, compromise on the quality we are renowned for. Tilda offers us the quality we need and without the wastage that cheaper rice alternatives can bring, so we find it very cost effective.”

Andrew concludes, “Tilda offers me the quality, flexibility and reliability our catering operation here demands. Without a doubt, I shall always use Tilda Easy Cook Basmati Rice.”