Why are some of these approaches to nutrition seen as almost radical, if links between good nutrition and learning and concentration are now so widely acknowledged? Alistair Turner, assistant head of cookery at Truro School, believes legacy contracts and a tendency to go for the cheaper options due to budget constraints play a part.

Turner says: “In the restaurant business you work with a number of suppliers, so there is more flexibility – schools, in my opinion, can get locked into contracts with big food providers where the only options are tinned, frozen, or ready-made, because on paper it looks quicker and easier.”

At Truro School, Turner and the rest of the team have transformed the on-site sixth form café, moving from ‘grab and go’ sandwiches or jacket potatoes to nutritious, flavourful meals using fresh produce mixed with a dash of creative thinking.

As for the effects of the changes on students’ learning, Turner adds: “I’m not an expert by any means, but I go down there and eat that lunch every day, and I feel better and healthier for it. I’m less sluggish, I’m more alert, I’m full of vitamins and minerals – of course I’m going to have a better afternoon!”

On top of just simply providing more nutritious meals, the new sixth form café is a place for students to socialise and enjoy meals and breaks together, and the culture around healthy food in a pleasant environment makes a significant difference.

Independent schools can go that step further by encouraging students to understand why certain food options are preferable, and to ultimately make healthier choices for themselves to support sustainable long-term health. Paul Quinn, health and wellbeing manager for Independents by Sodexo, echoes the importance of helping students make better choices.

Sodexo has developed a pilot programme – Powering Performance – for independent schools, creating specific recipes aligned with the concepts ‘focus, strengthen, sustain, recover’.

Quinn explains: “When we create each recipe, we combine scientific research from my end with the talents of our top chefs. For example, for focus, we use ingredients and nutrients that support brain health; for strength, nutrients that support physical and mental strength; for sustain, we include nutrients that are proven to allow a steady release of energy throughout the day; and for recovery, we include nutrients that support and repair the body, particularly for after exercise or sport.

“It gives them that education so when they leave school, they have a much better idea of the type of food to choose and why. For example, if they are into sport, they will learn which foods are best, if they are going on to study at university, it gives them the tools to maximise their potential, look after their health and prepare for the future.

We’re part of the pupils’ education, helping them understand the intrinsic link between good food and nutrition and physical and mental wellbeing

“We saw there was a growing demand for more education around nutrition, and we decided to make something that would educate the children and improve their health and wellbeing.”

Claire Aylward, joint managing director, Harrison Catering, also touches on how a good nutrition programme needs to support physical activity, as well as concentration in the classroom: “With sport being part of the curriculum for students, it’s essential that we balance the food offer for classroom study and provide the boost when it’s needed for sporting activity.

“We work with the sports department understanding and matching features to help ensure that the whole team can be properly fuelled with regards to intake of calories, nutrition and hydration.”

Harrison also recognises the science behind the sustenance, as Aylward explains: “We believe that good nutrition plays an integral role in the health and wellbeing of students. This is why Harrison employs the well-respected registered nutritionist and dietitian Dr Juliet Gray as company nutritionist to provide advice and guidance on what we see as an important aspect of good all-round pastoral care.”

One fairly obvious, although perhaps surprising overlooked, way to ensure a good nutrition programme will help students succeed is to ensure they are included in the process.

Quinn adds: “We are gathering feedback all the time, we will be giving out surveys, looking at what students think, trends, what they like and don’t like, we will be constantly improving and upgrading all the time. Continuously getting feedback and seeing how to improve it. We have seen Gen Z showing increased interest in sustainability and where their food comes from, increased numbers in vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians, and we have incorporated that into our recipes.”

Deborah Homshaw, managing director, CH&CO Independent, also highlights how culture and conversations around long-term good nutrition informs their approach, explaining that CH&CO focuses on “great food that captures customers’ imagination and just happens to be eaten at school”.

Homshaw says: “We’re part of the pupils’ education, helping them understand the intrinsic link between good food and nutrition and physical and mental wellbeing. We do this through interesting, relevant conversations about food; from how it can make you feel and perform to its impact on the planet.

“The impact food and nutrition can have on physical and mental wellbeing, as well as academic and sporting performance, is increasingly recognised. It’s something we’ve been talking about for some time with our schools and in the industry.

“That’s why we launched The Education Board by CH&CO to address and take action around the prominent issues of physical and mental health and sustainability through food and nutrition. The Education Board brings foodservice, independent schools, state schools and the third sector together to challenge the role of food in schools and lead the conversation on the intrinsic link between nutrition and wellbeing.”

St Swithun’s School in Winchester recognises that good nutrition is an integral part of wellbeing support, as well as the need to include students in the discourse.

Graham Yates, deputy head pastoral, says: “There is a regular food forum for the students to provide feedback which is incorporated into decisions around future menus. They are encouraged to give feedback regularly, with a ‘you said, we did’ wall display in the dining room to show how their ideas have been used.

“We are committed to promoting the wellbeing of all students by supporting them to be physically and mentally healthy and able to cope with life’s challenges in a positive and constructive way. Good nutrition is an important part of this – girls at St Swithun’s live life to the full and need appetising, varied and well-balanced meals.

Each day’s menu will always include vegetarian meals, fresh fruit and salads as well as a choice of hot meals and desserts. We want to help our girls develop a positive attitude to food.”

When we create each recipe, we combine scientific research from my end with the talents of our top chefs

A shift in food culture is already at play among young people – increasing numbers are turning towards vegetarian or vegan options, and many are interested in the use of more sustainable, local ingredients.

They are also more informed about food than previous generations; as well as a myriad of information at their fingertips, out-of-home dining experiences are more accessible than ever, with world cuisines available to them that would have been completely unfamiliar to older generations.

This savviness means education around nutrition is paramount, and this must be coupled with ongoing dialogues to ensure students are enjoying the recipes and consequently building satisfying and sustainable relationships with nutritious food.

If the experts in this article are anything to go by, innovative, informative and inclusive nutrition programmes that taste fantastic aren’t just a pipe dream, but do require creativity and a willingness to break free of longstanding ‘school dinner’ tropes.

Time to consign lumpy custard to the history books!

Nutrition and hydration: important learning tools

By Amanda Ursell, consultant nutritionist, CH&CO Independent

Good nutrition affects learning and concentration in many ways. Crucially, in the long term, it can help to ensure sufficient intakes of micronutrients like iron, iodine and vitamin D.

Not hitting recommended intakes can, over time, lead to feelings of extreme tiredness, loss of focus and a dip in mood along with increases in stress, all of which can impact on a child’s ability to learn.

In the short term, balancing the types of carbohydrate eaten and thinking carefully about their ratio to protein within a meal can affect feelings of energy in the hours directly after. So, too, can overall meal size and the amount of vegetables and fruit the meal contains.

Of course, hydration is also key. Children tend to have less sensitive thirst receptors compared with adults, making it particularly important to have drinks easily accessible and for pupils to be encouraged to drink, especially before and after exercise.

Understanding the ins and outs of meal composition from a nutritional point of view, as well as appreciating that the dining experience itself can impact on food choices and therefore nutrition, is an important starting point and consideration for independent schools when selecting and working with a catering partner.

The post The importance of good nutrition in supporting learning and wellbeing appeared first on Independent Education Today.

The Education Board by CH&CO is made up of passionate people from foodservice, independent schools, state schools, the third sector and the healthcare sector. They will educate children about good food and nutrition, whilst also doing their best to reverse the impact of negative messaging about certain foods being ‘bad’.

A key part of the Board’s strategy is cross-sector partnerships. “There’s a lot of partnerships currently but they don’t actually focus at all on nutrition and food; and food is the one thing that links everybody,” Deborah Homshaw, managing director of CH&CO Independent, tells me.

She continues: “By coming together as food service providers and educators, surely we can call the country to arms and say, let’s get in on this, let’s change this at the ground level – we have the ability to do so.”

CH&CO have been discussing the idea of The Education Board for the last 18 months, having carried out a tremendous amount of work in independent schools that Homshaw says has “gained a lot of gravitas and traction” with parents, the wider school community and children.

“But why should it only be in one sector?” Homshaw says. “So, John [Pratten] and I came together and said, actually, let’s launch it across all sectors. Let’s try and break down the barriers that have been between the sectors in the past.”

Back to basics

But what are some of the common misconceptions around food? Homshaw explains: “People associate ‘healthy’ food with expensive food and that’s not correct, at all. Good, honest, simple, well-cooked food is not expensive. We’ve had banana skin curry in a school – it’s cost-effective, because children eat bananas by the ton, and it’s even environmentally sound.

“I completely understand that there is real pressure on purse strings within schools, but what I’m saying is to go back to the basics. Take away the processed food, the reliance on convenience and bought-in food, and it’s more cost-effective and better for the child.”

Homshaw believes schools can then link the food in with the environment, ticking boxes for health, making sure the planet is sustained for the next 50 years and meeting children’s interest in the environment.

But there’s more to environmentally friendly food than just using local suppliers now, as focus turns to mileage and carbon emissions from vehicles used to deliver produce. Homshaw says: “I do think it’s important to support communities and buy British, but we have to do the right thing on a global basis for the environment.”

People associate ‘healthy’ food with expensive food and that’s not correct, at all. Good, honest, simple, well-cooked food is not expensive

The school’s role

While many sectors will be involved in CH&CO’s project, schools certainly have a big part to play. “It’s everybody’s responsibility to ensure that a child eats properly but if they are at school all day long, or most of the day, where else are they going to get their nutrition and fuel?

“Children are under huge pressure and schools will produce more well-rounded children if they look seriously at the food they’re delivering.”

CH&CO will be sending out information asking schools to identify the partnerships that they have or new ones that they can form, looking at how they can share resources, facilities or extra-curricular activities.

Once these discussions have been had, CH&CO will share the courses and activities they propose for September. This includes fun and practical ways of getting children and adults alike talking about food, including an exciting upcoming cooking competition where students can work with mentor chefs.

CH&CO have also partnered with a university to carry out research into the effect of nutrition in education, so that schools can benefit from scientifically backed evidence that what they’re doing will have a positive impact.

Opening eyes

CH&CO’s launch event for The Education Board – an event filled with examples of nutritious food held at Westminster Kingsway College (pictures above) – even saw renowned chef Raymond Blanc OBE speak about the link between food and sustainability.

The event also allowed schools to give their feedback to CH&CO.

“They felt it was really on point with conversations in the country today,” says Homshaw. “They really like the idea of partnerships – and that came from both state and independent schools. What also really resonated was the message that you can teach the curriculum through food; I think that opened a lot of eyes.”

The right thing

It’s a big project, but one CH&CO believes they are perfectly placed to take on.

Homshaw says: “I don’t think a food service provider has looked at it from this angle before. I think lots of people have tried and have done very commendable work, but this needs to be done on a big scale. The ambition would be to roll it out in the 400 schools we have in the company, and get partnerships with another 400, then continue to escalate.

“We want to see everybody joining the conversation and getting involved. This is way beyond commercial gain, way beyond politics; this is about doing the right thing for children and for the future.”

The post ‘Doing the right thing for children and for the future’ appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Framlingham College is now utilising the Wednesday’s Child team to educate staff, audit dining facilities, deliver assemblies, stage parent talks and provide a one-to-one listening service or recovery techniques for those children who may need it.

Framlingham College deputy head (pastoral), Tom Caston, said: “The wellbeing of a pupil is critical to them experiencing a happier and more successful school career. I really believe that the Wednesday’s Child delivery model is essential for the entire academic community – from primary to higher education, and across mainstream and public schools.”

It is believed as many as one in five schoolchildren will experience an eating disorder during their academic life, and the disease has a high onset incidence during adolescence.

The wellbeing of a pupil is critical to them experiencing a happier and more successful school career

Wednesday’s Child’s protocol guides school staff and the pupil community through awareness, prevention and intervention. As well as providing focused education about the mental health illness and its incidence in the academic arena, the package includes full recovery coaching support for students experiencing difficulties with, or early signs of, an eating disorder.

Debbie Watson, founder of Wednesday’s Child, said: “Our protocol on eating disorders is something long overdue in the education arena, and we’re proud to have been the organisation to have really listened to schools and to have developed a framework which can be tailored for their needs.

“On the one hand, teachers and pastoral staff were saying how desperate they were for more information and resources to assist understanding of this devastating illness, but perhaps even more so, they were eager to get ‘hands-on’ support wherever a child might be showing some kind of eating distress or disordered thoughts.

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The caterers launched the new initiative with a conference on the theme of ‘Nourishment and Beyond’, at Westminster Kingsway College on 28 February, which drew in influential speakers such as renowned chef Raymond Blanc OBE, who discussed the link between good food and sustainability.

The Education Board brings foodservice, independent schools, state schools and the third sector together, all with the belief that creating good relationships with food in young people through education will have a positive impact on their wellbeing, and on the planet.

It will serve as a platform to share knowledge, best practice and facilities relating to food, nutrition and sustainability – as well as championing career opportunities in the hospitality industry.

Deborah Homshaw, managing director education and healthcare at CH&CO, said: “For many years, society has, unintentionally, created bad relationships with food by focusing on negative messages, state and independent schools have worked separately and the clear impact of food and nutrition on physical and mental wellbeing and academic and sporting performance has been, on the whole, ignored.

For many years, society has, unintentionally, created bad relationships with food by focusing on negative messages

“We’re turning this on its head. By bringing everyone together, we’re delivering positive messages around food, making it fun for our children and investing in practical solutions that put food and nutrition at the centre of conversations. This is how we empower young people to make good choices today and into the future, and that’s the right thing to do.”

Some of the initiatives that will come out of the new board include food and nutrition courses delivered by CH&CO chefs for students across the education sectors, as well as a student chef competition.

Homshaw added: “I’m incredibly excited and proud of what we’ve created. As experts within foodservice we have a responsibility and the capability of forging really positive messaging, relationships and action with people within all the different parts of the education sector focusing on the powerful benefits of intrinsically nutritious food.”

The Education Board by CH&CO – who are they?

Board members include:

• Deborah Homshaw, managing director education and healthcare, CH&CO
• Amanda Ursell, consultant nutritionist, CH&CO
• John Pratten (chair), former bursar of Box Hill School and past chair of the ISBA
• Tim Baker, head teacher, Chartwell Manor Primary School
• Garry Ratcliffe, CEO, The Galaxy Trust
• Louisa Vicaria, HE programme area leader – culinary arts and culinary health and nutrition, Westminster Kingsway College
• Juliane Albrecht, head of patient support services, The Cleveland Clinic

For more information and to get involved with The Education Board by CH&CO contact Andrew Scott on 07917 601545 / andrew.scott@chandcogroup.com or Pete McKenna on 07392 125482 / peter.mckenna@chandcogroup.com

The post ‘We’re delivering positive messages around food’: CH&CO launches The Education Board appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Independents by Sodexo will create food which falls under four aims – to focus, strengthen, sustain and recover. The ‘Powering Performance’ range draws on scientific research into nutrition and development. The range also benefits from studies linking specific foods to academic prowess, sporting ability, concentration and energy levels.

William Hackett, catering manager of Bedford School, said the initiative would see the meals trialled alongside the usual menu. “This is a very exciting programme which will help our young people understand the effect that the food they eat has on their bodies,” he said.

This is a very exciting programme which will help our young people understand the effect that the food they eat has on their bodies

“All our boys – particularly those in our Sports Performance Group – already learn about the benefits of eating certain proteins and complex carbohydrates on their ability to strengthen their bodies or aid muscle recovery. This will form an extension of that allowing them to put the theory into practice.

“We are allowing our boys to make informed choices – so we have set up a special area in the dining hall showcasing the meals on offer each day and explaining how their ingredients will help body and mind.”

Sam Baldock, deputy head (academic) at Bedford School, said: “Making positive food choices is a key component of success in the classroom, concert hall, stage or sports field – so we are thrilled to be trialling this exciting concept.”

Powering performance

Focus meals will be beneficial during exam periods, including ingredients designed to sharpen the mind such as quinoa which contains choline. Choline is required by the brain and nervous system to regulate memory and mood.

Strengthen meals include high protein ingredients like tuna, eggs and chicken which are key for muscle development.

Sustain meals include ingredients such as spinach, which is high in iron. Recovery meals will be high in vitamins and minerals such as magnesium.

You might also like: Special report on catering and the environment

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Deputy bursar Toby Lehmann has seen significant benefits from undertaking a full review of their catering procurement. Lehmann explains: “Catering has always been a large aspect of the role, given that we produce 17,849 meals every week.

“Although we had help from a procurement company in sourcing our food, we struggled to control the order process and, as a result, the weekly spend. The bottom line was that we didn’t have control and had to try to explain budget variance to the COO each month. Something needed to change.”

Professional tendering

Lehmann continues: “We brought in an independent consultant to undertake a benchmarking exercise. We learned pretty quickly that we were spending more than we needed to, and the consultant initiated an exercise to review the services of procurement firms that could help us.”

Having undertaken desk-based research, it came down to the incumbent firm and Pelican Procurement.

“There were three key aspects we were really evaluating,” says Lehmann. “Price is, of course, key, however, the IT systems that support the service as well as people are also crucial. It was clear from the start that Pelican are head and shoulders above what else is out there.

“Compared to the competition, the Pelican Pi system is in a different category and while there were personal loyalties to the incumbent, we knew there was no competition; Pelican stood out.”

Categories including dry goods, frozen, ambient, non-foods, chemicals, meat and poultry, fruit and vegetables, dairy and seafoods all went out to tender. 

Lehmann says: “It was important for us to continue to support the town and wider community wherever possible. Pelican factored this into the tender process and I’m delighted that we have been able to continue working with our local suppliers.”

Delivering control and transparency through IT

Aside from the tendering, a major element of change has been the adoption of Pelican’s procurement system – Pi.

Lehmann explains: “Our major issue before was that we had inadequate visibility of our spend. It would take us two or three weeks of manual accounting after the month-end to work out what had been spent.

“When we first started using Pi, we had a significant overspend carried over from the previous term. By working far more closely with the chefs, in the very first month of using Pi, we were under budget – and the next month, and the next! By the end of the summer, we had transformed the catering so that we were operating within budget and had improved the quality of dining in the school.

“Now, with Pi everything is visible in real-time. I can look at any time to see what our daily, weekly or monthly spend is looking at across all sites. I can see what individual chefs are ordering and corrections can be made there and then. I can work out costs per pupil and this level of precision enables us to better plan our menus.

By the end of the summer, we had transformed the catering so that we were operating within budget and had improved the quality of dining

“The Pelican team have been really supportive throughout – what is apparent is Pelican ‘gets’ catering. They just understand it from the inside-out.

“When I consider the three original goals – to address our pricing, improve transparency through IT and work with experts who understand catering and our needs – this has all been achieved. When I meet the COO each month it’s now a pleasure to discuss the catering!”

W: www.pelicanprocurement.co.uk

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Irfan Latif, principal at DLD College, said: “It was an honour to welcome Atul to DLD to officially open our Global Kitchen. It was fantastic to hear him speak to pupils and staff, given his illustrious career at some of the UK’s top Indian restaurants.

“Atul has been at the forefront of changing how people perceive and experience Indian cuisine and indeed was the first-ever Indian chef to receive a Michelin star, awarded in 2001 whilst he was at Tamarind in Mayfair.

Atul has been at the forefront of changing how people perceive and experience Indian cuisine

“He spoke very warmly and kindly to students, and it was a real privilege to watch him unveil our new plaque, marking the occasion.”

Throughout the summer, the college transformed the dining space into a “bright and inviting area for students”. The aim was to reflect the diversity of the college by giving it a global focus.

In addition to the new appearance, DLD has also appointed a new chef, Oliver Towler, who the college said has “embraced the theme with an ever-changing selection of exciting menus”.

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The initiative included reducing meat consumption, particularly that of ruminant meat – beef and lamb. Similar developments across the independent education sector – some prompted by student demand – are evidence of an appetite for change among pupils.

You can have some more!

Suffice to say the move to make catering more eco-friendly can bring enrichment beyond nutrition, through the wholesome experience of eating home-grown food. HawleyHurst School is currently growing a designated ‘soup patch’ whereby vegetables in a bed will be used to make a soup come harvest time but, already, home-grown potatoes, garlic and runner beans have been served onsite, with children informed of these ingredients’ provenance. In general, to reduce food waste, “Pupils are served smaller portions, with a culture that welcomes children returning for seconds,” says Andy McCoy, head of sustainability.

Helen Bonner, catering and cleaning manager, runs cooking lessons focusing on no waste by, for example, practising vegetable cuts to ensure the entire plant is used. She is also looking to reduce use of foodstuffs containing palm oil by 10%. The school runs sustainability classes and has started taster sessions for senior pupils to try new foods, to waste less.

Season well!

By Deborah Homshaw, managing director of CH&CO Independent

The seasons give chefs an abundance of fresh, delicious produce to work with and a whole heap of inspiration. Menus that reflect the seasons are not just ‘on trend’, they also make a lot of sense.

Firstly, there’s the sustainability benefit. Using seasonal British produce, wherever possible, automatically reduces the distance produce has to travel to reach our schools, which has a positive impact on our carbon footprint. The more local the better, we say! It also enables us to support local enterprises and make a positive contribution to the communities where we work. Building relationships with local producers help us understand more about the ingredients we’re working with and share our learnings with the inquisitive pupils we feed.

Seasonal produce often costs less too. As well as having less distance to travel, food in season is usually in abundance, which, just as consumers experience in the supermarkets, makes it cheaper.

Ripe, seasonal produce simply tastes fantastic. It’s no coincidence, for example, that strawberries picked in season have more flavour than those found out of season! It’s also at its optimum nutrient level.

Our chefs have been busy developing delicious and nutritious menus that celebrate this season’s bounty, including kohlrabi, pumpkins, butternut squash, sweet potato, curly kale, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, apples and pears.

Smoothie change goes smoothly

Ian Holliday, head of commercial development at Pelican Procurement, is seeing caterers seeking suppliers best placed to achieve a particular goal.

He says: “Sustainability has become an ever-higher priority for all hospitality sectors due to the highly publicised environmental impact the food industry has on the planet. The pressure for change is on!” Pelican have responded by supporting clients to reduce their plastic waste by, for example, moving away from disposable packaging to reusable crates when buying fresh produce.

When cod was removed recently from the sustainability list, it was removed immediately from Greenbank’s menu

Simple but eye-catching initiatives have made massive progress at Pelican client Thomas’ London Day School, where Mark Newman is general catering manager. He says: “We asked parents to supply their children with a reusable bottle they can refill. That alone has helped us remove 50,000 plastic bottles per year!”

As one of its pudding options, the school was using 2,500 carton smoothies (with straws) weekly, before the decision was taken to make their own. “It was a bit of a game-changer,” says Newman. “We’ve got better at it and once people make it a routine it gets easier.”

The move has reduced food waste, as fruit not used during the breakfast serving finds its way into smoothies.

Yoghurt previously served in 2,500 individual cartons is now bought in five-gallon containers and decanted into bowls, while the school has also moved from disposables to greener products made from recycled or compostable materials, such as the Vegware range. The introduction of classroom food waste bins sees their contents disposed for composting while a menu change has seen the school go ‘meat-free’ one day weekly, reducing meat consumption by around 200 kilograms per week.

Hot water without global warming

Dishwashing at Highfield and Brookham Schools is a clean operation in more ways than one. Sophie Baber, headteacher of Brookham School, says: “We have a responsibility to prepare our children for the future. There is absolutely no question that climate change is the most significant crisis we have ever faced.”

At Highfield and Brookham Schools, the largest project to help with this kickstarted in 2013 with construction of two 350kW state-of-the-art woodchip-fuelled biomass boilers, heating all of the hot water throughout the schools, including the kitchen. This has led to the removal of 20 oil-fired boilers, a massive saving of 140,000 litres of oil annually and an estimated annual saving of 288 tons of carbon dioxide, saving 5,760 tons over 20 years.

Environmental good practice is firmly rooted throughout, with children taught about food in lessons and growing their own vegetables in a kitchen garden before taking on the role of chefs and making their own delicious homemade soup. “The children who represent their peers on Eco Councils will be meeting throughout the year to ensure we keep our environmental responsibility at the top of our school agenda,” says Baber.

Additionally, all children are given the opportunity to compost their fruit snack waste in compost bins. As of next term, yoghurt will no longer be offered in individual pots as a pudding option; instead, the schools will either buy in bulk and decant or make something else instead.

Significant changes made by the catering department are helping to eliminate single-use plastics, with fully compostable cutlery made from 100% renewable resources. The schools will be replacing white plastic disposable cups with a clear Bioware cup made of corn starch which is compostable and biodegradable. In the kitchen, once the schools’ current stock of black plastic bags are used they will be replaced with biodegradable ones. Paper baguette bags, rather than cling film, are used for packed lunches and the schools will move to covering tables with linen cloths, rather than cling film.

The schools are increasingly aware of the ingredients to avoid and, where possible, avoid products containing ingredients such as palm oil. More vegetarian options are being offered than ever before due to demand from staff and pupils – year-on-year Highfield and Brookham Schools are finding more people are wanting to reduce the amount of meat they are eating or opting to be fully vegetarian or vegan.

Bursting with sustainability

CH&CO Independent holds the top-level three-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association for its commitment to operating responsibly and sustainably.

“Across our schools we focus on seasonal, local produce and reducing food waste, meat on the menu and single-use disposable products,” says managing director Deborah Homshaw.

“We also educate pupils on the impact food choices have on the environment.

“Our Good Food Works programme helps them understand where food comes from as well as the benefits it has on our bodies and minds.”

At Copthill School CH&CO Independent chefs use seasonal produce from local suppliers whenever possible. The school keeps chicken and pigs and has a vegetable garden and land for foraging. The garden is a great place for pupils to learn about food, from seeds and the growing process through to harvesting, cooking and eating, supported through a cookery club.

Food waste is recycled as compost for the school garden, and fruit and vegetable peelings make excellent fodder for the chicken and pigs. The use of disposable goods has been minimised through removing them or buying compostable options, the chefs swapping single-use plastic bags for food prep in favour of washable, reusable tubs.   

CH&CO chefs at Greenbank Preparatory School use a butcher and grocer within two miles of the school to reduce food miles. Vegetables are grown onsite, and for November’s Thanksgiving dinner, as many vegetables as possible will come directly from the school’s grounds, including pumpkins, cabbages, potatoes and carrots. Greenbank makes its own biscuits to avoid using palm oil and uses only fish local to the British Isles; when cod was removed recently from the sustainability list, it was removed immediately from Greenbank’s menu.

“Across our schools we champion a holistic approach to our menus, ensuring our pupils are exposed to a varied, balanced diet. More plant-based options are providing delicious alternatives to meat, with meat-free Monday proving popular,” says Homshaw.

Across our schools we champion a holistic approach to our menus, ensuring our pupils are exposed to a varied, balanced diet

Sixth formers ditch single-use plastics

Millfield School’s in-house caterer, Chartwells, works with the UK’s largest food waste charity, FareShare, which redistributes surplus food to charities nationally, turned into meals for those in need. The school recycles its used cooking oil into biodiesel, supports National Stop Food Waste Day and its catering manager, Denis Verrier, became the Environmental Champion in Chartwell’s independent sector in 2018.

Millfield uses 4,031.5 litres of milk weekly from Midway Farm Dairy, 15 miles away in Radstock, their entire supplier for the last 20 years. Apples and blackberries from the school’s orchard are harvested by Millfield Prep boarding houses for making into juice and jam.

The school’s single-use plastic initiative was entirely pupil-led, with eco-committee members and upper sixth pupils Imara-Bella Thorpe and Emma Harvey leading the charge. In the autumn 2018 term, use across Millfield and Millfield Prep was down by 22,000 bottles, with zero plastic bottles used at Millfield from spring until the end of the summer term.

The UK’s independent schools are blazing a trail for environmentally-friendly catering. On menus and in dining halls, in the curriculum and in the classroom or outside in school grounds, the need to protect our precious planet while producing delicious, healthy food is instilling lifelong good habits and conscientious thinking into pupils who will expect similar credentials of their chosen university. Beyond the statistics of reduced food miles and smaller carbon footprints, less quantifiable benefits are accruing, as children nurture an appreciation of food and the process by which it came to their plate.

You might also like: CH&CO sets out sustainability targets

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He came to the Leamington Spa independent school around two-and-a-half years ago after CH&CO Independent came on board as caterers and approached him to join. The school has been amazed not only by his ideas for food, but also his ‘eye for detail’. When he’s not coming up with nutritious and fun food for Kingsley pupils and staff, he’s refurbishing unloved furniture for the dining room, hanging plants from the windows or picking up pumpkins and seasonal vegetables to decorate the space. These details have turned the dining room into a colourful, inviting area.

“I like working with plant-based and vegan trends as they’re both healthy and colourful,” says Stevens. “Recycling is our next port of call. We’ve seen a 90% plastic reduction already, but we want to bring in permanent lunchboxes for those wishing to take food away.”

I like working with plant-based and vegan trends as they’re both healthy and colourful

The catering team of five has been recognised nationally too; they’ve been shortlisted for the EDUcatering Independent School Caterer of the Year award, the Heartbeat Award for healthy eating, the FSM Awards and many more.

Challenging tastes

Rebecca Rogers, Kingsley’s assistant head (academic), told me about the school’s requirements when they partnered with CH&CO Independent: “The girls were eating but it wasn’t fun. We wanted to educate them about food, push their boundaries and challenge their tastes – that was the journey we wanted to go on.

“One of our main goals was for more girls and staff to come through the dining room. It’s compulsory for years 7, 8 and 9, so it had to be something they wanted to do. We’ve seen the success of it because a lot of them choose to carry it on to years 10 and 11, and even sixth formers come over to eat their lunch. Before you would never see a sixth former in the building, but they love it and it’s really good value for money.”

More staff are choosing to eat in the dining room too, which Rogers says has “made the school dining experience much more of a community thing”.

Every week Kingsley holds student voice meetings, and any suggestions and ideas get fed back to the catering team.

There is also an ideas board in the dining room where students can stick post-it notes up about what they’d like to eat. However, the school has seen the board become less used as the pupils’ relationships have strengthened with the catering team – now they’ll ask direct. “They give me a grilling, but that’s what I’m here for,” says Stevens.

The school creates 300+ meals a day, including breakfast, breaktime snacks and lunch, but what do the pupils think? The girls I spoke to said some of their favourites included curry, turkey meatballs, vegetable spring rolls, the salad bar and falafels. They even love meat-free Tuesday.

The hydration station has large dispensers full of water infused with fresh ingredients such as mint and cucumber, lemon and watermelon. A four-week menu cycle keeps things fresh and each Friday is themed. With Street Food Day taking place during my visit, the pupils and staff happily tucked into chicken, fish or plant-based burgers, a huge range of salad, sweet potato fries or potato wedges, and pancakes for dessert with healthy toppings.

Rogers told me why the school decided to up the stakes with healthy eating: “It’s a national requirement, healthy eating is on the national agenda and pupils’ wellbeing is part of the inspection regime. As a school we’ve got a responsibility for the whole wellbeing of the student. It’s incumbent on us to educate girls in healthy eating as issues around food are so huge.”

Getting creative

It’s not just the day-to-day dining that CH&CO Independent are involved with. Kingsley puts on regular events for pupils and parents to enjoy including a Royal Wedding-themed picnic, garden party, World Challenge event, wine-tasting for new year 7 parents and afternoon tea with Japanese visitors. They are great opportunities for Stevens to get creative. For the entrance exam taster mornings, he made the dining experience buffet-style, with mini burgers and onion bhajis, so the girls could mingle.

Rogers says: “It was more cost-effective this way too, so he does keep an eye on the budget. He doesn’t hold back on flavour either and the girls loved it.” Adding well-matched cheese and bread to the parents’ wine-tasting event she says, “took the whole event up a notch in terms of sophistication”.

The partnership between CH&CO Independent and Kingsley has been “really productive” Rogers told me. “There have been discussions going backwards and forwards, which have always been open and honest. It’s never going to be right straight away but because of the open communication channels between us, we’re really happy,” she said.

The school’s next goal? Getting the quantities right – looking at which events need more food, and which need less – and whether they can go more local with their food.

Watch this space!

To find out more, visit: www.chandcogroup.com/education

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Two groups from King’s College and a group from King’s Hall School listened as Dawson spoke about topics such as choosing the right foods, hydration and preparation for sports matches.

The students asked Dawson questions about eating the right foods, as well as his involvement in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and England’s success. After the talks, Dawson signed books, rugby balls and spoke to the pupils about life at King’s College.

He said: “As part of my role as a Sodexo ambassador, one of the things I enjoy the most is getting out to schools and talking to the pupils about health and wellbeing, particularly food and nutrition and how that links to elite performance.”

King’s College is a boarding and day school for 450 boys and girls aged 13 to 18.

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