CRB Cunninghams are delighted to have been named the winner of the Innovation Award at the 2020 Public Sector Catering Awards, the first dedicated education technology company to win a Public Sector Catering award.
Public Sector Catering Awards
The virtual award ceremony took place on 15th September 2020, recognising and celebrating excellence in the industry. Although attendees could not be at the event in person, it was great to see esteemed colleagues and leaders across the industry in this virtual event.
Innovation award
Judges were looking for a product or service innovation that has dramatically changed a catering strategy. The release of Fusion Online, CRB Cunninghams’ innovative pre-ordering app that encourages pupils to pre-order their school meals directly from their mobile phone, coupled with exceptional service and dedication to the education sector, confirmed CRB Cunninghams as the 2020 winner.
The Innovation Award, announced by Mark Moloney from Youngs Foodservice, declared CRB Cunninghams as the winner for the following reasons:
1. The innovative pre-order app, Fusion Online
An innovation for secondary schools, Fusion Online, provides a secure and adaptive platform to encourage pupils to pre-order their preferred meal options in advance, whenever and wherever they are.
No longer restricted to the dining hall, pupils can choose their favourite school meals on the go to ensure their order is ready to pick up at lunchtime.
"For us, the main thing is looking at pre-ordering and looking at the future developments that are associated. Using a phone-based app will make a big difference in how pupils order their food. That’s a significant development and one that we are keen to test" - Jayne Jones, Customer of CRB Cunninghams, Commercial Manager at Argyll and Bute Council, and Head of ASSIST FM.
2. Food-to-go for the student on-the-go
For pupils, Fusion Online ensures their favourite lunch is pre-ordered and pre-paid. A seamless connection with our cashless catering system automatically deducts the cash balance for pre-ordered meals from their account, and their live cashless balance is available to view from their mobile device.
This functionality means that pupils can grab their lunch and go, which is beneficial to those attending lunchtime clubs & activities.
"Giving pupils the flexibility to pre-order meals and from home is a significant development for parents and will give them more input to what their children are ordering" - Jayne Jones, Customer of CRB Cunninghams, Commercial Manager at Argyll and Bute Council and Head of ASSIST FM.
3. Increase uptake of school meals
Fusion Online is an essential platform for schools to compete against out-of-the-gate food options. The convenient pre-order app encourages pupils to stay within the school grounds during lunchtimes, resulting in more revenue for caterers and schools.
Catering staff can easily promote special offers and events such as theme days or other information directly through the app. The push-notification feature allows schools to reach pupils outside the dining hall straightforwardly and effectively.
4. Combat food wastage in schools
Food waste costs schools and colleges in the UK £250 Million per year. Fusion Online tells staff exactly what lunches need to be prepared in advance to combat food wastage and the associated costs. Fusion Online tells staff exactly what lunches need to be prepared in advance, reducing the risk of over catering.
The combined cashless package provides catering managers with a host of management information, including historical data and an analytical view to predict food trends and assist with stock ordering and long-term planning.
5. Customer feedback: Frederick Gough School
Frederick Gough School was the first to go live with Fusion Online in May 2019. The app can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store, providing a simple onboarding process for pupils.
Delighted with the enhancement to their pre-ordering service, the school promoted Fusion Online as "the best way to pre-order your dinner. And the feedback from staff and pupils has been positive."
John Curtis, Business Manager at Frederick Gough School, said:
"Fusion Online was introduced as an extension of what we offered in terms of pre-ordering and provides a further function there is a high demand for at our school. Modern and reactive, our school is benefiting from new technology as it advances, and that is something that is only going to continue."
6. Customer-driven research & development
We formed the CRB Cunninghams customer user group to provide a forum for customers to help shape the future development of their systems.
This close relationship has ensured our systems are continually enhanced to exceed client needs in an ever-changing marketplace, providing the ability to benchmark and analyse nutritional standards, improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve uptake of school meals throughout the country.
In 2011, we first introduced pre-order meal software, which encouraged secondary school pupils to opt for healthy school meals over local shops and burger vans. To facilitate this, we introduced touchscreen kiosks placed throughout schools, alongside meal collection points.
Initially developed as an answer for customers that required a flexible solution that would allow pupils to pre-order meals 24/7, we are delighted to introduce Fusion Online to schools to enhance their pre-ordering service.
Our in-house research and development team utilised the latest technology and Azure hosting to offer this product to schools with enhanced security. Multiple delivery options include pick-up points, QR codes, order numbers and biometrics. These options are available to suit the needs of schools and to seamlessly integrate with their existing cashless catering service, providing a single cashless solution.
7. Dedication to the Education sector
CRB Cunninghams has consistently proven their leadership and innovation as market leaders in the education sector for over 50 years and is proud to be recognised for the Innovation Award this year, as Fusion Online becomes available to secondary schools across the UK.
The forward-thinking pre-order app is a direct result of our dedication to our customers and our determination to provide innovative solutions to the issues that they face. This commitment to our customers ultimately puts CRB Cunninghams at the forefront of changing the cashless catering landscape, yet again.
Innovative in both conception and implementation, Fusion Online is a testament to the teamwork, creativity and leadership reliably shown by each member of the CRB Cunninghams family and proudly represents our staff, our values, our company and most importantly, our customers.
David Paylor, Commercial Director of CRB Cunninghams, said:
“It is fantastic that CRB Cunninghams is being recognised for innovation. We pride ourselves on delivering innovative solutions to our customers and see this award as the result of our dedication and drive to provide new solutions that benefit our customers.
I want to say congratulations to all the worthy winners and finalists, thank you to Public Sector Catering, and all those involved in hosting the event.”
