p.46-47 catering 9:Page 6 02/09/2009 12:24 Page 46
Catering and Nutrition
S
chool dinners came under scrutiny five “Many schools have provided great examples of to school meal take up. The School Food Trust
years ago when TV chef Jamie Oliver how to entice children into the canteen. By report found that an attractive dining environment
highlighted the deplorable diets of many refurbishing kitchens, making dining areas more can also help. And the benefits of encouraging
children in the UK, both at home and at inviting and even starting cooking clubs, where children to eat a healthy lunch are huge – research
school. Since that time, new nutritional children can learn how to prepare healthy and has shown that pupil engagement and
guidelines have been put in place to ensure delicious food, primary and secondary schools have concentration after lunch rose by 18 percent in
that schools provide healthier food and finally seen an increase in pupils eating school lunches.” secondary school pupils.
the message seems to be hitting the target. One such initiative is the Culinary Academy for At the recent Local Authorities Caterers
Figures released by the School Food Trust this Schools run by Premier Foods, which will be run for Association School Meals Exhibition, there was a
summer reveal that more children are taking a second time this year. Aimed at secondary school plethora of interesting and innovative product to
advantage of school lunches than ever before. This cooks and unit managers, the relaxed and help schools brighten up their dining areas.
is partly due to better, healthier food but also as a interactive one-day sessions are being enhanced this Gopak showed a large range of dining room
result of better facilities, food education and other year to help drive income as well as create healthy furniture including stacking benches on a bench
initiatives designed to raise awareness in pupils and and appealing meals. skate, a round table with bright yellow chairs, the
their parents. Laura Tufnell-Barrett, Marketing Controller at lime green POP chair and a rectangular table. “The
For the first time, a comprehensive picture is Premier Foods, said: “The Academies enable us to challenge of producing products for the school
emerging of the take-up of school meals across the work closer with schools, providing hands-on advice market is to create something durable, functional,
country. This is because local authorities (LAs) are and support through our dedicated team of colourful and flexible enough for multiple use,” says
the company’s Diane Ponting. She warns schools to
do their research before investing in dining room
Let’s do lunch
furniture.
“There is more choice of product suitable for
education with many cheap but also more
expensive imports. The market seems much more
fragmented and schools no longer depend on their
now required to report the numbers of children education specialists, and help them to produce local buying department when purchasing
eating school food. meals that are healthy and appealing, as well as furniture,” she says.
But there is still a long way to go. The figures cost-effective. One of the best ways to ensure that you are
show that out of 150 local authorities, only 39.3 per “Having listened to last year’s attendees and the purchasing good quality equipment is to go to a
cent of pupils eat school food at special and primary education sector generally, we recognise that it’s certified supplier. Foster Refrigerator have agreed
level. The figure drops to 35.1 per cent at secondary becoming more and more important for catering set best-prices with Buying Solutions (the national
schools, academies and city technology colleges. teams to keep menus fresh and appealing to kids. procurement partner for UK public services) in order
This data reveals that there has been a small So this year, we’re also including training on to provide unbeatable prices on a contract
increase in the take-up of school meals, which is a running a theme day – giving helpful hints and tips exclusively for the public sector.
significant step in the right direction after a massive to help market school meals to young adults - “The Contract is awarded only after extensive
culture change in school food. This is the first time increasing income as well as making school meal supplier evaluation, and is thereby limited to those
that there has been an increase at secondary level occasions fun.” meeting strict criteria. Taking this into account,
since the new standards for school food were It is not only the menu in schools that contributes Foster Refrigerator are proud to have been an
introduced and shows that schools are slowly approved supplier on the Contract for the past 30
turning a corner. years,” says Foster’s Vim Hariani.
Schools Minister Diana Johnson welcomed the Another consideration for this type of product is
School Food Trust’s findings and said, “Four years the government’s sustainability targets. Defra's
ago, the majority of children were eating unhealthy sustainability "Quick Wins" is a list of commonly
meals at school. Chips, chocolate and sugar-filled purchased products where minimum environmental
fizzy drinks were available everyday as a choice for standards have been identified for each. Quick Wins
school lunch. Today there is no school where this sets minimum standards in energy consumption,
can now happen - all schools must provide a recycled content and biodegradability. If school
portion of vegetable and fruit as part of a procurers buy to these specifications, it is a Quick
nutritionally balanced main meal. Now millions of Win in helping Departments meet their sustainable
children across the country are eating healthy targets and so produce savings for the environment.
school lunches. “Foster Refrigerator is the only Buying Solutions
“We know that it is often the state of dining supplier with a full range of products on the ECA
facilities and poor organisation, not nutritional scheme with the Eco Pro Cabinets and Counters
changes that put children off schools dinners. That and Eco Premier Cabinets and Counters all ECA
is why we have invested significant funds in approved and so qualifying for Quick Wins. Any
improving dining facilities and the School Food Trust Foster product that qualifies as a Quick Wins model
is supporting schools to improve the way they is identified by a 'Green Tick' - the recognised
organise their meals services. symbol for products meeting best practice
46
www.education-today.co.uk September 2009
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