We provide growing boys with really good food, all prepared by specially trained chefs who know about healthy eating. We use locally sourced ingredients, and every meal is balanced to include all the vital nutrients a growing boy needs for body and mind. Our chefs make vegetarian and plant-based options as well as using well-loved recipes from all over the world and our Christmas lunch is second to none.
Everything we serve meets the highest food standards. All special diets are catered for.
The day begins with breakfast for boarders, staff and anyone coming for wraparound care. It’s nor unusual to see teachers popping in to grab an early croissant or join the boys for a Full English. Boys seem always to be big fans of toast with all the usual jams and marmite as well as muffins, crumpets, pastries and brioches. There’s hot porridge or overnight oats, with yoghurts and homemade granola and even a selection of cheeses.
Hungry tummies are satisfied with homemade snacks from our ever popular mobile carts wheeled out at break times and packed to the rafters with fresh fruit, vegetable sticks and sometimes our legendary cookies and flapjacks.
There are always three choices on the lunch menu, including plant-based options and meals for any special dietary requirements. The fruit tray is kept topped up and we get through huge quantities.
Boys love our homemade cakes and desserts and we have no complaints when we sneak in fruit and veg’ instead of sugar.
Match teas are a highlight of the week.
Post-match, boys and visiting teams tuck into a very English afternoon tea to restore energy levels and see them through until supper. Families who come to watch also get a slice of the action with Pilgrims’ famous homemade cakes, scones and sausage rolls, along with plenty of tea and coffee.
Supper offers boarders and wrap-around care boys an even wider menu from around the world. A salad bar is always available. Fruit, yoghurt or more traditional dessert choices complete the meal.
Every member of our team holds the Food Standards Agency’s Allergen Training Qualification. Senior Catering staff have additional Advanced Level Qualifications.
We cater for individual requirements of any boy who follows a special diet for medical or faith reasons. We are a completely ‘nut and traces of nut free’ school. The School Nurses and the Catering Manager work closely together and will happily meet with parents to discuss their son’s requirements.
We are fully committed to not using single-use plastic or other single-use products as much as possible. We source our food as locally as possible.
Many menu choices have been influenced by the boys. Each term, a cross-section of boys attends a pupil-led Food Committee meeting where likes and dislikes are shared, themed lunches are discussed, and new menu ideas are suggested. We also survey the boys regularly and take on board their feedback as we plan our menus.
We suit boys who’ll make the most of the opportunities we offer, whilst also contributing to the school community. While founded on a Christian ethos, we welcome boys of all faiths and none and we aim to foster the character of every single Pilgrim.
Busy families need wraparound care. As a boarding school, we’re always set up to help.
After school, your son can enjoy a variety of nearly 50 activities, known in school as 'Commoners'. Warhammer, running, fencing, remote control car racing, football, judo, scuba diving, board games, to name but a few of the activities available.
Set in the heart of Winchester’s Cathedral Close, the school enjoys a unique and peaceful setting between Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College, with the city on its doorstep and the South Downs countryside just beyond.