Kate Martin from the Brookwood Partnership spoke at a healthy eating-themed assembly at High March School in Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire recently. Shortly afterwards a parent contacted the headmistress and said: “My daughter told me how the talk given by Brookwood was incredibly interesting and informative. She has told me all about the merits of different breakfast cereals, the effect of sugar and importance of a good diet as well as tasting different foods. The speaker really seemed to hit the right note with my daughter and she really took it all on board. This morning she was very keen to put good breakfast skills into practice.”
Kate delivers her healthy eating assembly throughout the year, telling some 35,000 pupils about where their food comes from, the importance of starting their day with a good breakfast and which foods support concentration in the classroom and fitness on the sports field.
School catering has been in the spotlight for a number of years now, with attention focusing recently on the amount of sugar being consumed in the UK, especially the levels of sugar in sports drinks. As a caterer and educator, Kate Martin has developed a number of healthy eating initiatives, including ‘Halt the Salt’ and ‘Beat the Sugar Beet’. She says: “As a school caterer, it is our responsibility to provide every pupil with the correct food that will support their growth, health as well as their concentration and fitness levels. We work closely with schools where we cater to help children understand which foods to eat and what to avoid.”
Headmistress Sue Clifford says: “Brookwood continues to support our pupils beyond the dining room and over the years have presented assemblies which have helped ensure all our pupils know more about their food and the positive effects of adopting a healthy diet. We are very proud that Brookwood are our caterers and all the added benefits their services offer our pupils.”
At the 2014 Food Service CATEYS (the hospitality industry’s equivalent to the Oscars), Kate Martin was awarded the Healthy Eating Champion Award. Judges commended Kate for making healthy eating central to the company’s operation and for being “a true champion of the balanced diet”.
