Boston school system scraps food vendor bids

BOSTON—The Boston School Department tossed out all bids for a new food vendor contractor and is now seeking new proposals, city and school officials announced last Wednesday.

“After a thorough review of all the proposals we have received so far, including student taste tests, we believe we can still do better,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh said in a statement. “We are directing vendors to go back to the drawing board and bring something new to the table, including more fresh salads, locally sourced options, and healthy choices that our students will look forward to every day.”

The School Department received three bids: Whitsons Culinary Group of Islandia, N.Y.; Preferred Meals of Berkeley, Ill.; and Revolution Foods of Oakland, Calif. Whitsons has been the contractor for the past three school years, while Preferred Meals has done the summer food program for years and at one time held the school-year contract.