Over the summer, we completed significant improvements to our kitchen, dining facilities and access areas. All of these enhancements have had one simple objective: to ensure that pupils enjoy a high-quality meal each day, prepared as close as possible to the time it is served and enjoyed in more comfortable and welcoming surroundings.
Greater Comfort While Waiting
A new climate-controlled waiting area has been created, providing a more comfortable and welcoming space for pupils. In addition, the self-service line has been expanded and reorganised, enabling more year groups to use it and giving more pupils the opportunity to choose their meals. This allows pupils to take a more active role at lunchtime while making the service smoother, more organised and more efficient.
A separate dining area has also been created for IB Centre students and members of staff. This is a glazed, climate-controlled space with a retractable roof, designed to provide a quieter, more comfortable and pleasant dining environment.
The dining hall clearing area has also been expanded. Trays are now returned to a single collection point, allowing the removal of trolley storage from the dining hall and creating additional space for a second salad buffet for Secondary pupils. This improvement also helps prevent congestion, improves circulation and supports the work of the cleaning team.
Fresher Food and More Consistent Preparation
The kitchen has been enlarged and reorganised to allow for more efficient and flexible working practices, with the addition of more powerful equipment adapted to the evolving needs of the service. Among the new additions is a second combi convection and steam oven, which can operate alongside the existing unit to prepare different dishes simultaneously, such as steamed vegetables and roasted meals. Thanks to this increased capacity, fewer preparations need to be completed the previous day, allowing most food to be cooked on the same day and closer to each lunch sitting.
These ovens use a combination of hot air and steam to achieve greater consistency than traditional ovens. Their temperature probes allow heat and humidity to be adjusted precisely for each recipe within the food itself. For families, this means meals that are cooked more evenly, with consistent results across all lunch sittings.
A multifunction cooking unit has also been introduced, capable of boiling, roasting, frying and low-temperature cooking. It heats food quickly and evenly and allows large numbers of portions to be prepared while maintaining consistent results. For certain processes, it can operate up to four times faster and consume up to 40% less energy than conventional equipment. On a day-to-day basis, it enables us to cook with greater precision, reduce preparation times and serve fresher meals thanks to its power, accuracy and versatility.
These new appliances, together with the plate-warming equipment introduced during the previous academic year, help maintain food quality throughout the process, from the kitchen to the moment meals reach pupils. As a result, food is not only prepared closer to the time of consumption but is also kept in better condition.
Enhanced Safety for Special Diets
The kitchen extension has enabled the creation of a dedicated and separate preparation area for meals intended for pupils with allergies, intolerances or other dietary requirements. These meals are prepared first thing in the morning, before general food production begins, following a separate workflow.
The separation of ingredients, utensils and work surfaces, together with specific cleaning, identification and control procedures, reduces the risk of cross-contamination and further strengthens our HACCP system. This dedicated area therefore provides increased protection and quality assurance for pupils with special dietary needs.
Verified Quality and Safety
Food safety has always been an integral part of our HACCP system and is monitored by the Madrid Public Health Department. In addition, the catering service holds ISO 9001 certification for the management and provision of meals prepared on site for large groups. The new facilities further reinforce these standards by enabling improved organisation, greater control and more consistent food preparation.
Recently, Richmond Park School achieved a score of 9.5 in the nutritional assessment of its menus, specifically regarding the frequency with which recommended food groups are offered. This evaluation reviewed the menu programme against the requirements of Law 17/2011 on Food Safety and Nutrition and Royal Decree 315/2025 concerning healthy and sustainable food provision in educational settings.
Furthermore, during the most recent routine inspection carried out on 7 October 2026, Madrid Salud identified no deficiencies in either the facilities or in the handling, preparation or service of food within the kitchen and dining areas.
In summary, these improvements reflect our commitment to continuous improvement and allow us to provide pupils with more comfortable and welcoming spaces, together with meals that are prepared more recently, more consistently and more safely. The new equipment and improved kitchen organisation help maintain the same quality, texture and level of cooking throughout each service, making meals more appealing and encouraging greater acceptance among children.
We are pleased to inform you that both students and teachers have repeatedly expressed verbally that they have noticed an important improvement in the daily food offering and in their overall dining experience.
