Complementing existing serveries in the main dining hall and the school’s HLC building, the new Snack Shack aims to deliver food ‘on the go’ in the form of ‘snacks, treats and healthy eats’ – providing students with an additional food and drink outlet in a convenient, central location.    

Positioned adjacent to the school’s main student thoroughfare, the Forum, the Snack Shack is accessible to those who are looking for the convenience of grab and go food while beating the queues that can sometimes form in the main dining hall at peak times.

School Business Manager, Sarah Evans, said: “Following feedback received during a review of our catering provision, we understood that queueing times were a concern for parents, carers and students alike. To help address this we are excited to launch our new ‘Snack Shack’ which will help to reduce congestion for students using the main dining hall, while helping to save time for those who want to play and socialise outside during their break times.

“Since the opening of the Snack Shack, staff have reported a noticeable improvement to the queuing times and seating capacity in our other serving areas. Student feedback has also been overwhelmingly positive, with many appreciating the time-saving benefits that the shack has brought – not only to those who use it, but to those who are benefitting from the impact felt in other areas of the school.”  

Withernsea High School’s ‘Snack Shack’ has been designed and installed by modular building specialists, ‘E-Spaces Design and Create Ltd’. Having previously worked as senior leaders in schools, the company’s creators, Neil Pinder and Ray Bird, appreciated the importance of creating a design that would suit the needs of the school.

Neil said: “We identified the space available, its location, and the dimensions required for the kitchen equipment that would be used. To maximise the use of the catering unit, we provided a wheeled chassis option with detachable tow bar - meaning that it can be moved around the site to better support events such as Parents' Evenings, ‘welcome days’, and even Sports Days.”

E-Spaces Design and Create Ltd began as a business almost three years ago when company creators, Neil and Ray, looked to develop a system of Computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacture to create ‘vibrant spaces’ for their clients.

Owner Ray Bird added: “We develop customised products to meet the exact requirements of our individual clients and work with them at the design stage to make sure that it meets their needs. This means that the final product is always unique and almost all of our products within our range will be slightly different in favour of what our customer really wants. Indeed, this was the process when creating a catering unit on behalf of Withernsea High School. Our method of CAD and CAM (Computer-aided manufacturing) creation has seen us create garden offices, music studios, catering units and even small homes."

As part of a trial period, Withernsea High School’s ‘Snack Shack’ is currently open at breaktime only – with a view of expanding this provision to include lunchtimes later in the year.

The current menu offers breakfast and brunch favourites, such as toast, cereal, crumpets, toasties and bagels, alongside ‘every day goodness’ in the shape of fresh fruit, fruit salad pots and low-fat yoghurts. A daily ‘treat’ is also available, with sausage sandwiches, egg muffins, bacon bagels, hot sausage rolls and croissants being served on set days throughout the week.

Meanwhile, as part of the regular programme of routine inspections led by external agencies, the school’s kitchen facilities recently retained their five-star Food Hygiene Rating, with the visiting inspector commenting on the ‘very well run and organised’ nature of the kitchens.

The school’s attention to detail with allergen information was also praised, with the inspector commenting on the ‘clear’ way in which such information is presented.

ABOVE: The Snack Shack Menu as of May 2024.

ABOVE: (left to right) School Cook, Pauline Steele, with Kitchen Assistants Diana Long and Sarah Harrison

ABOVE: The Snack Shack has provided an additional serving area to help alleviate pressure on the main dining hall at peak times. 

ABOVE: The Shack has already proven popular with students, who are impressed with the 'grab and go' style food on offer.  

ABOVE: The Snack Shack is fed by water and electricity, enabling it to operate as a fully functioning servery. 

ABOVE and BELOW: Designed by Burstwick-based E-spaces Design and Create Ltd, the Snack Shack blends seamlessly into its surroundings.