Service Continuity in Sancta Sophia College through a Pandemic

For more than a decade, Sodexo has worked with Sancta Sophia College to help them build a rich learning environment by providing fresh and contemporary cuisine to campus residents and guests. Read on to find out how we adapted our service to ensure a COVID Safe environment for teachers and students.

Positioned on the grounds of The University of Sydney, Sancta Sophia College is home to around 300 scholars and professionals from a variety of universities. The college was built to foster academic culture and diversity, and its residents experience knowledge-sharing in everyday life through use of communal dining and living spaces.

Sancta Sophia College looks to create a rich learning environment by enhancing the student experience outside the classroom, and part of this involves the college’s kitchens and dining area. Sodexo has been Sancta Sophia’s official caterer for more than a decade, delivering breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to residents, seven days a week, and operating as the official catering service provider for all functions and conferences held at the college.

“Sodexo’s preparation paid off in a big way. Day one of the new service delivery model could not have gone more smoothly. I asked many students for feedback and had not one complaint or concern about the process, which is astounding. A job truly well done.”
Fiona Hastings, Principal Sancta Sophia College

With support from Sodexo, Sancta Sophia College has built an outstanding reputation for offering fresh and contemporary cuisine to residents and guests of the campus. This includes a conference menu and a variety of meal options for residents and casual guests. Through close collaboration, this success has continued despite the impacts felt across Australia and the education sector.

Responding to COVID-19

In early-2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way services could be delivered across Australia. The New South Wales Government introduced a number of restrictions on the education sector and Sodexo needed to create an effective COVID Safe plan to ensure the residents of Sancta Sophia could continue to dine on-site.

To adhere to COVID safe practices, Sodexo:

• Transformed the dining room configuration
• Introduced individually served meals to replace the previous buffet-style service
• Redesigned the menu to enable practical service and upscaling over time
• Produced and deployed client-specific signage to encourage social distancing and direct dining-room traffic

Sodexo’s approach enabled all changes to be implemented within a fortnight while maintaining a high-quality service, working in partnership with the leadership of the college. Within days of implementing the new system, Sodexo received positive feedback from Sancta Sophia’s Student Food Committee.

“Each of our clients has experienced unique challenges as a result of the pandemic, but our Spirit of Progress has inspired us to innovate and adapt to ensure continuity of service and the preservation of safety practices.”
Keith Weston, Sodexo Director On-site Services