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The ‘new normal’ school lunch
The clever Relish-OPS systemis helping school partners across the country set up new feeding hubs by delivering nutritious meals straight to the classroom.
and have consequently created class and year bubbles to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission, it seemed an impossible task to re-launch the dining room service without either compromising the controls in place or severely impacting the whole school day from a lengthened service that accommodated each bubble separately with interlude cleaning procedures. One solution has been to offer the school
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lunch service in the classroom but with that, many other considerations have come into play:
• Should the menu be amended? • Is it still possible to serve hot food? • Will the School Food Standards still be met? • How will special diets be managed? • Can the new service be eco-friendly? • What about cost and waste?
Schools have turned to Relish to deliver a ‘new normal’ lunch service. The Relish-OPS system has the flexibility for each school partner to adapt their menu – some have opted for a cold offer, some a reduced hot offer and some have managed to maintain all daily options. Once decided, the daily dishes are shown on the
hile schools have had to consider every conceivable situation that may arise from pupils returning to school
classroom whiteboard each morning and, as children arrive in school, they order their lunch electronically. All orders are produced, individually packaged
and delivered to each classroom at lunchtime – the novelty of their unique order being prepared and labelled specially for them has proven popular with the children. So how have all the considerations been met
to assure headteachers their new service works for them and continues to support the school’s objectives and values?
Nutrition and standards One existing and unique functionality of the Relish-OPS system is the guarantee of menus being fully compliant with the School Food Standards. Menu content is tested against the governing criteria and catering managers are guided by system notifications to make dish- swaps that achieve full compliance.
Managing special diets Whether a child has a life-style choice or an allergy, the system will only offer them dish choices that are compatible with their dietary profile by matching it with the dish ingredients. Even the most complex diet can be catered for individually.
Sustainability The classroom delivery service utilises the school’s existing reusable plastic food trays, bowls and portion pots. One great addition to the classroom service has been the ‘Make Your Meal’ Boxes - children chose the components of their lunch and it arrives in a sectional lunch box. The delivery of meals to class would normally
increase food production levels to ensure every bubble has the choice and range of the daily menu which in turn, can create high food wastage. With the meal pre-order in place, only what has been ordered is produced, making waste a thing of the past and maintaining service costs at budgeted levels.
Looking forward Children returning to school have made the heart of their school beat again and while the dining room remains closed, headteachers are grateful for the additional space it lends for socially distanced learning and the solutions that Relish-OPS has provided in these operationally challenging times. However, we all look forward to the day we can give back the dining room its rightful title of the buzzing hub of every school.
T: 03300 240016 E:
info@relishschoolfood.co.uk
business network November 2020 9
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