My name is Christine White and I was, up until January 2025, the Director of Business Services for Marist College Canberra for a period of 16 years. During that time, I was responsible for management of the College canteen services. The College engaged Metro Canteens in 2008 to take over what was once an in-house service. The College has an enrolment of 1650 students from years 4 to 14 and several hundred staff.

The service provided by Metro Canteens met every requirement set out by the College during my employment period. This included tailoring menus, employment of suitable staff for the unique requirements of a school, through to assisting with the co-design of new Canteen facilities. In addition, the College leaned on Metro Canteens for the provision of catering services for meetings of various sizes. Food items were varied, nutritious and priced affordably for students. 

Metro Canteens has always worked in partnership with the College. There was understanding and a practical response to the unique requirements of a Catholic school that undertakes periodic fund-raising activities which can often involve the sale of food items by students.

Communication was always easy and free flowing. Di Whyley is an excellent operator and highly skilled in the provision of Canteens services. She is accessible, knowledgeable and hands on with her leadership.

The long tenure of Metro Canteens is testament to the level of satisfaction that the College has had. I have no hesitation in recommending Metro Canteens to other schools considering outsourcing their Canteens operations to a service provider.

I am pleased to provide this reference for Metro Canteens regarding their exceptional canteen management services. At Coombabah State High School, we faced significant challenges in running our tuckshop, including financial losses of approximately $20,000 per year and difficulties with staffing management under our P&C’s oversight. Recognising that operating a tuckshop is not the core business of a high school, we sought a more sustainable and effective solution—this is where Metro Canteens stepped in.

Since engaging Metro Canteens to manage our canteen operations, we have experienced a complete transformation. Their well-established business model has not only revitalised the quality and variety of food offered to our students and staff but has also made pricing more affordable, benefiting our entire school community. The transition process, led by Dianne and her dedicated team, was seamless and professionally managed, making the handover stress-free for both the school and our P&C.

One of the most rewarding outcomes of this partnership is that Metro Canteens returns a portion of the profits to our P&C, providing valuable funding for school projects. This arrangement ensures that our school benefits financially while allowing us to focus on our primary mission—educating students—rather than managing a canteen.

If your school is considering outsourcing your canteen operations, I wholeheartedly recommend Metro Canteens. Their expertise, professionalism, and commitment to delivering high-quality, cost-effective food services have been an outstanding success for our school. I have no doubt they can provide the same exceptional service to your school community.

I just wanted to touch base with you as I am leaving Pac Pines SHS Business Manager position.
I wanted to say that I have really enjoyed our collaboration, you have been amazing to work with and I have enjoyed your honesty and integrity.