Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
School meals in the London Borough of Redbridge are set to become even tastier and healthier after the Council employed a new food service provider.
ISS Caterhouse was awarded the new seven year contract, and will begin serving up school meals to primary schools in the Borough from September.
Following Jamie Oliver’s school meals campaign a couple of years ago to improve the ingredients and nutrition of the meals, the Government introduced new standards for primary schools last September.
Redbridge Council’s current contract already meets these standards but school meals under the new contract will offer greater variety, be freshly prepared on site using fresh ingredients and reflect the particular needs of schools and their pupils.
This will mean more top quality ingredients including free range eggs, organic milk, yoghurts, fresh and seasonal fruit, vegetables and salad. Red Tractor farm assured meat will be provided unless there is a demand for Halal or Kosher meat. Sustainably sourced fish will also be on the menu along with Dolphin friendly Tuna. In addition there will be a variety of popular vegetarian dishes available.
A typical lunchtime menu would consist of:
Roast lamb served with roast or new potatoes
Salmon fishcakes served with pasta
Crunchy vegetable crumble served with pitta bread
Roasted vegetables
Steamed fresh carrots
Crepes and fresh fruit
A freshly prepared salad bar with four to six choices of salad items and organic freshly baked wholemeal and white crusty bread will also be available daily.
It is known from talking to school staff, that pupils use up a great deal of energy during a full school day and need to concentrate during lessons and recharge their batteries for the afternoon.
This has meant that the Council has made it a priority that all primary schools provide a tasty and healthy lunch to ensure pupils are alert and raring to go in the afternoon.
There are also strong links between improved exam grades for children who eat healthy options. The Jamie Oliver campaign showed that those eating healthy lunchtime meals were less likely to skip school, improving overall attendance.
Ronke Martins-Taylor , Chief Office r Services and Young People, Redbridge Council, said, "The Council is confident that schools and pupils will enjoy the new food service on offer and that school meal numbers will grow across the Borough. Not only are we hoping the new menus will contribute to a healthier lifestyle for pupils but we also hope they will have an impact on educational standards."
Mark Davies , Director of ISS Caterhouse said, "We are delighted to be working for schools and parents in Redbridge providing local school meals. As parents and grandparents ourselves we take this responsibility very seriously.
"We will be talking to Headteachers and parents in the coming weeks to provide further menu information."
David Clarke , Chief Executive of Assured Food Standards said, "The fact that ISS has won the contract to supply schools in the London Borough of Redbridge ensures that all food served to pupils has been produced to high standards and checked by independent inspections. We are delighted to enter the education arena and Redbridge can be proud of their efforts to source quality assured produce from British farms."
Pictured with some of the children from Redbridge schools are Mark Davies , Divisional Director, ISS Caterhouse and Julia Mooney, Director of Marketing, Assured Foods Standards, with the Red Tractor Award