"Pride have a refreshing approach which ensures their customers get the best food and service”. Nick Tuck, Care Director for Independent Age
“We have been delighted” Andy Thomson, AON Ltd.
“Another benefit, apart from well fed and happy children, is the increase in free school meals… [for which] the school will receive additional funding.” Barbara Chevis, Headteacher, Burlington Primary School.
Zac Goldsmith gets a taste of Pride Catering
21st April 2010
Zac Goldsmith Conservative parliamentary candidate for Richmond gets a taste for our Food for Life compliant menus at East Sheen Primary School in Richmond. Zac joined the children at this pioneering school for lunch, where he queued up with the children and savoured a delicious Food for Life Bronze Mark roast lunch, experiencing first-hand the benefits of the Food for Life programme.
East Sheen Primary is an inspiring example of a school providing excellent food and great learning opportunities, on a limited budget and with many pupils receiving free school meals. Headteacher David Ford is convinced that healthy school meals have played a major part in the improved behaviour of pupils, aided learning and brought the school community together with a shared project.
Food served is locally sourced with a growing number of products being organic, all meals are cooked on site using fresh produce. Classes have regular timetabled cooking sessions and the school has a dynamic and flourishing gardening club. The children grow, harvest and then pass the produce onto the school chef to use in everyday dishes.
The school has strong links with a farmer in Laleham, and Year 3 children visit his farm every Autumn to study where their vegetables are sourced. They return to school laden with a variety of seasonal produce to take home and enjoy with their families.
Zac Goldsmith says:
“The school is an inspiration, and shows that an approach to food involving staff, cooks, parents and families really helps to encourage a healthy attitude to food. The children are clearly inspired by finding out where their food comes from, and growing fruit and vegetables themselves means they are all the more willing to eat them! It proves that school food can achieve exceptionally high standards on a limited budget. We need to make sure that every child has the chance to such a good start in life.”
Stephanie Wood, Director of the Richmond-based School Food Matters campaign, says:
“East Sheen Primary School was the first in the London Borough of Richmond to introduce fresh sustainable food and food education for all its children. As trailblazers they have inspired many to follow and now six schools in the borough self-manage and enjoy delicious food, and take up is between 60% and 80%.”
Will Watson - Chef for Pride Catering and his team now caters for over 300 children a day providing breakfast and hot lunches, that’s around 75% of the school.
Please follow the web links below for information and reference of this news item, and for further information regarding the Food for Life Partnership scheme and School Food Matters campaign.
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