Food for thought

In this story: The new deal What’s in and what’s out?

Jamie Oliver's school meals campaign may have focused attention on the quality of food served to our children but here in Kensington and Chelsea we don't need celebrity chefs or the Government to tell us how to feed our pupils. The Council is leading the way in the provision of tasty yet healthy school meals. At an average price of just 63 pence for ingredients per meal, other local authorities are sitting up and taking notice of the Council's groundbreaking scheme.

The new deal

Turkey twizzlers, chicken drumsticks and artificial meat products may be popular with pupils but nutritionally, they leave a lot to be desired. Keen to improve the lifestyle of all our children, the Council investigated ways of improving the nutritional value of food eaten in our schools.

The Council's new school meals contracts are provided by two main contractors, Alliance in Partnership Ltd and Brookwood Catering Ltd and the Council is spending over £2 million a year to ensure pupils are eating healthy lunches.

What’s in and what’s out?

Schools in Kensington and Chelsea are striving for a catering service where dishes are prepared using fresh ingredients and healthy cooking methods as opposed to prepared products.

As of 1 April 2005, fruit, vegetables and milk products in Royal Borough schools are all organic. Dishes are prepared using a majority of fresh ingredients, only a few frozen foodstuffs and a handful of tinned items are allowed into the kitchens. For many years numerous additives have been banned and restrictions placed on the amount of sugar and salt in each meal. With allergies to nuts common amongst children, the Council banned all nut products from its menus about fifteen years ago. All eggs must be free range and only food free from genetically modified ingredients can be used. Restrictions have been placed on the frequency of certain desserts, fish fingers, burgers and sausages. All pizzas must be freshly prepared. All animal processed items must contain a minimum of 60 per cent meat or fish.

Example of a new school menu
Roast skinless chicken with homemade sage and onion stuffing Mild Mexican bean wholemeal tortilla wrap Oven roasted potatoes, crunchy greens, fresh carrot sticks, roasted vegetable salad Homemade banana custard, homemade apple pie with crème fraiche.

These new initiatives sets us apart from other local authorities. The people in charge of school meals are trained in food, nutrition and catering. The team devises school menus that offer pupils a healthy, nutritious meal that tastes good, while at the same time encouraging the children to think a little about the food they eat.

The Council understands that to encourage healthy eating in schools it has to educate the staff who prepare and serve the meals. As a result, kitchen staff from Royal Borough schools are attending special courses at Thames Valley University, where professional chefs teach them exactly how to cook new recipes.

For more information, log onto www.rbkc.gov.uk.

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