Parents Notice More Than Headteachers Realise
A school catering service operating across four primary schools in Hertfordshire received a parent complaint that had nothing to do with food quality. A parent had seen the catering staff arriving at the school in the morning wearing their own clothing, with no visible uniform or branding. Their concern: “How do I know those are the catering staff and not random adults walking into the school?”
The concern raised a genuine safeguarding and perception issue that the catering manager hadn’t previously considered. Their 12-person team across four sites had been wearing a mix of personal white coats and standard kitchen aprons with no consistent identification or branding.
The Brief: Professional, Hygienic, Identifiable
The catering manager contacted Customised Workwear needing a solution that addressed three requirements: professional appearance, clear staff identification, and compliance with food hygiene presentation standards.
We developed a simple but effective solution: white polo shirts in a food-hygiene-rated 65/35 poly-cotton rated for 60°C washing, with the catering company name and logo embroidered in navy on the left chest. Each staff member’s role (e.g., “Head Chef,” “Catering Assistant”) was embroidered in smaller text on the right chest. Over the top, staff continued to wear their existing catering-standard white aprons — but the uniformed layer underneath now clearly identified them as catering professionals.
The Outcomes
Within a month of the new uniform deployment, the catering manager reported that school staff and parents were noticeably more comfortable with the catering team’s presence on site. The safeguarding concern was formally resolved. Two of the four headteachers specifically mentioned the improved professional appearance in their term-end catering reviews.
The catering manager noted a secondary benefit: “My staff feel more like professionals. There was always a bit of ‘we’re just the kitchen’ attitude. The uniform has shifted that. They feel part of the school.”
Workwear and Professional Identity in Catering
Embroidered workwear for catering and food service teams delivers both functional and reputational value. Contact us to discuss a food-service-appropriate workwear solution for your team. Browse our workwear bundles for suitable options.