Accent have proudly been appointed as your school caterer from September 2026. Founded in 2002, Accent is an independent company operated by one of our founders Derek Warman and Managing Director Ian Crabtree. We are an established caterer, passionate about supporting local British farmers and growers with seasonal quality ingredients at our core. There is a wide range of main meals prepared from fresh (including vegetarian and / or vegan offers), freshly prepared salads, sandwiches, desserts and fresh fruit. At break times, there are a selection of hot items accompanied by an array of muesli pots, home baked cakes, cookies and muffins. Our menus encourage customers to try new and innovative dishes which are packed with fresh ingredients. Each month, pupils can look forward to vibrant, delicious dishes specially selected by our nutritionist to boost mood, sharpen focus and energise the body. It’s food that fuels wellbeing – inside and out! We are proud to partner with the National Farmer’s Union to support local suppliers and help our schools learn the importance of food provenance and the process food goes to from field to fork. We know how important sustainability is and we re fully signed up to the Courtaulds’ Commitment (to reduce food waste) and the UK Plastics Pact (to remove all unnecessary single use plastic from our business). If your child receives Free School Meals, they can choose any two items from the extensive daily menu (main course and dessert) for their free school meal, regardless of price, in recognition of the importance of meals at school. To pay for the meal, we will effectively credit your child’s account on a daily basis and this will be available for lunchtime and they will access the funds via our Biometric system, the same as the other students. All of this is backed up by great marketing and promotions. We run a variety of Special Day menus including Black History Month, Lunar New Year and National Pizza Day which are fun and add real value to the daily lunch occasion. In addition, we have our Pop Up Kitchen days where classic Street Food meets the traditional lunch elements to add even more variety and flavours to lunch time. Look out for our Gyros, Chicken Katsu, Pancake Bar and much more. We have some exciting new marketing in the works for you but here’s a taste of what was in store last year. Accent Catering are partners of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and take the responsibility for managing food allergies and special diets very seriously. We seek to reassure parents and guardians that we have a detailed understanding of the subject and recognise the importance of having robust procedures in place. All of our menus are fully allergen checked and labelled. Our teams fully trained each term and on-site Allergen gurus are trained and knowledgeable to ensure every customer is catered for.Our Menus
A Sustainable Future
Free School Meals
Marketing
Allergens
Fizzy drinks and energy drinks
We seek to promote a healthy lifestyles in our students to help them engage with their full curriculum. As such, fizzy drinks and energy drinks are not allowed on the Academy site. Any students found to be in possession of such beverages will have them confiscated and not returned.
There is significant research that shows that the refined sugar found in most fizzy drinks contributes significantly to childhood obesity. What’s more, there is also detailed research that shows that the caffeine found in most energy drinks has a detrimental effect on young people, resulting in hyperactive behaviour and poor concentration.
Free School Meals
If you think you may be eligible for free school meals, please complete the online form.
Free school meals in all East Sussex maintained and free schools and academies are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of state Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
If you require any assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
St Leonards Academy’s cashless canteen
The St Leonards Academy operates a cashless canteen. Your son/daughter will be required to register on the system and, until your eligibility has been confirmed, money will need to be loaded onto their account in order for them to receive lunch.
Once free school meals have been set up there will be no need for them to bring cash to load onto their account. Alternatively, your son/daughter can bring in a packed lunch until their entitlement for free school meals has been confirmed.