Food service
Read our Philosophy Statement on Food Services
The school cafeteria is managed by BaxterStorey Ltd. During the normal school day, students may not order food for delivery to the School. Contact BaxterStorey Ltd., catering@asl.org.
This week's menu and meal deals
Lower School
Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are expected to bring lunch from home; a drink is provided to accompany their lunch. Students in Grades 2-4 my bring in a lunch from home, or parents may elect for their child(ren) to be provided with a nitritious packed lunch by the School. Parents may choose for their child(ren) from a variety of sandwich fillings and breads, accompanied by a choice of healthy snacks, fruit or dessert, and a drink.
Middle and High schools
Middle and high school students in Grades 6-12 may purchase a wide range of healthy, nutritious, homemade products—hot main dishes, pasta, soup, salad bar, sandwiches, homemade cakes, muffins, juice and smoothies—from the cafeteria, open Monday-Friday, 7:45 am-4:30 pm.
Middle and high school students must eat in the Commons. The average cost of a full lunch is estimated to be £3.30. Students in Grades 5 can subscribe to a school-provided meal deal plan, which is arranged on a semester basis. Details are sent home prior to the beginning of school or may be obtained by calling 020 7449 1241.
Cashless Catering
ASL operates a system of cashless catering. Students in Grades 6-12 use their photo IDs to buy lunch rather than having to bring cash to school. Grade 5 uses a different system.
The photo ID works like a debit card, with purchase amounts deducted from each student's account. Parents can add to the account balance by sending money to the accounts department, or by using cash-loading machines that are installed in school. Balances can be checked at the cash loaders at any time.
CASHLESS LUNCH FAQs
1. What is the purpose of the cashless system?
To shorten lunch lines by making payment faster. As many as 200 students pass through the cafeteria in a 10-minute period during a typical day. It is also more convenient for parents and students not to have to bring cash to school every day. The system provides enhanced sales information, helping ASL caterers with menu-planning.
2. Does a student have to hand in his/her badge to get money credited to the account?
No. Checks (made payable to " BaxterStorey Ltd. ") can be sent to the accounts department; please ensure that the name of the student is clearly identified. Once processed, the value will be credited immediately to the account.
Cash can also be immediately credited to a student's account using the two cash loaders at school, by swiping the card and then inserting money. The cash loaders accept £20 , £10 , £5 notes, and £2, £1 and 50p coins. New parents can get credit onto their own card by using the cash loaders.
3. When do I need to send a check in to credit my child's account?
Checks can be sent in at any time but these should be for a minimum value of £50.
4. What is the minimum check value that ASL will accept?
ASL will accept checks for a minimum value of £50 , which should cover approximately three weeks of lunches at around £3.30 each. Checks should be made payable to " BaxterStorey Ltd. " and sent to the accounts department. If a student leaves the School with money in their account, ASL will refund the balance by check.
5. How do I check my balance?
You can check your account balance at the cash loader or every time that a transaction takes place at the cash register.
You can also email dominic_durdle@asl.org. to receive an account balance.
6. What if the card gets lost?
Loss of a card will not mean financial loss to the cardholder. The card itself does not hold the data; it is stored on a secure database. The process for replacing a lost photo ID will be the same as always: Inform ASL immediately, and the missing card will be deactivated. If the card is not found, a new one will be issued and will carry all the previous data and balance. ASL will charge £10 for a replacement card.
7. What happens if the card account runs out of credit?
MS Students
Grade 6-8 students are allowed an overdraft facility of £5. When this is drawn upon, the cardholder and operator will be alerted. If this £5 limit is exceeded, the card cannot be used until it is back in credit.
HS Students
No overdraft facility is in place for HS students, which means that purchases can only be made when the account has sufficient funds.
8. What if a student cannot find his/her card before going to lunch?
S/he should go to their divisional office.
9. Can I limit the amount my student spends each day?
Yes, parents can place daily or weekly spending limit on students' accounts. Parents will need to inform ASL in writing to activate this control.
10. Will it be possible to view account details online?
Not at present, although ASL is talking to the software supplier about future online access and online payment.
11. Can cash be paid for any food at ASL?
Only at the limited number of vending machines in the School.
12. Is it possible to obtain a receipt for checks and/or cash used to add credit to the cards?
Yes, the cashless system can provide a statement showing all receipts and expenditure from the account at any time.
If you have any queries with regards to the above, please email dominic_durdle@asl.org.
