Priory Leads The Way With Self-Service Dining Innovation
26 November 2025
Priory has transformed the dining experience for its pupils and staff with its groundbreaking self-service system.
The school is the first in the country to install the innovative touchscreen kiosks through CRB Cunninghams, which makes the whole process of ordering food faster and more efficient.
Why the Change?
Strategic Business Development Manager Mrs Barker explained: “Myself and Estates Manager Mr Bolton were reviewing our catering system. At Priory, we are always looking at improvements and unique solutions.
“We manage our own in-house catering service and we wanted to cut down the queues at tills and upgrade the whole dining experience for our pupils.
“We spoke to CRB Cunninghams who had already developed a self-scan type kiosk, and together we developed the self-service advance pay system, bringing in new technology ideas, and it’s had a massive impact.
How It Works
“The pupils go to a self-service kiosk and order their food, the cost is charged to their account, they get a receipt and then they go to pick their food up.
“It’s a lot smoother, it stops long queues, crowded tills and it improves satisfaction. The faster flow means our pupils also get to make better use of their breaks and lunchtimes.
Benefits for Everyone
“Our menu changes on a three-weekly rota so we become familiar with what is being ordered, it’s great for planning and this avoids food waste. The pupils also have to have money on their account to pay for it so it’s eradicated any debt.
“It has made a real difference and has transformed our catering service. It has exceeded our expectations.
“We are the first school to install this type of advance pay system and we have also had other schools coming into see it, as well as councils and other catering providers.”
Mr Bolton said: “It’s made a massive difference. From ordering to receiving food it is around 30 seconds. It’s technology the pupils use all the time in fast food restaurants so they are already familiar with how it works.
“If we see a way to make it even more streamlined, we feed it back to CRB Cunninghams and they make the necessary adjustments to make the system even better.”
Staff and Pupils Alike Praise The Change
Catering Managers Mrs Billings and Miss Morley both agree it’s a huge success. They said: “It makes everything a lot easier, we can keep control of quantities so there is less waste and it also increases uptake as the pupils can come back for anything extra as there are no big queues to tackle. There’s a great sense of calm and order in the dining room.”
Assistant Principal Mr Gee said: “It’s like going from dial-up internet to broadband, the speed is that increased. The new system allows children to order really quickly, get their food, and then have time afterwards to do all the activities that we have in school.”
Year 8 Lewis said: “The queues go down really quickly now which means we can do other things in our lunch-time. It’s like ordering in McDonald’s.”
Year 8 Matilda said: “I like it. It’s faster and you know how much money you have to spend. There is a good selection of hot food and snacks.”
Year 9 Sophia said: “Before, the queue took a long time and now it’s much easier.”
Setting a Benchmark
Managing Director at CRB Cunninghams, Adrian Burt, concluded with: “Penwortham Priory Academy has been an absolute joy to work with. Their forward-thinking leadership and commitment to enhancing school life through innovative technology are clear in everything they do. What has been truly inspiring is how naturally pupils have taken to the kiosks, familiar technology they already use in everyday life, now improving their school mealtimes from the very start.
Penwortham is a perfect example of what’s possible when a school’s commitment to giving students the very best experience is paired with the right technology. They’ve transformed lunchtimes into something students genuinely enjoy and have set a new benchmark for what cashless catering can look like across UK secondary education.”
Showcasing Success
As part of CRB Cunninghams’ national campaign to introduce the concept, several Priory pupils and senior leaders recently featured in a professional promotional video. The filming captured real-life use of the system and highlighted how quickly and confidently students adapted to the technology.
The campaign also includes a detailed case study, positioning the school as a leading example of innovation in cashless catering. Both the video and case study will help demonstrate to other schools, councils and outsourced catering companies how this system can transform the dining experience.
You can take a look at the finished case study and video here, along with an article published this week in Public Sector Catering >>
www.crbcunninghams.co.uk/case-studies/penwortham-priory-academy-kiosk-success-story/
CRB Cunninghams Self Service System
Tags: Catering Facilities
