News
DECEMBER 2011
CHRISTMAS LUNCH @ SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY
School Food Company delivered 640 Christmas lunches at Gorsey Bank Primary School and Lacey Green Academy this month. Our Catering Teams cooked and served 67 kilos of roast potatoes, 40 kilos of free range Cheshire turkey with all the trimmings, lashings of homemade quiche and vegetable slice along with 600 homemade chocolate brownies and 40 fresh fruit salads for pudding.
There was a great atmosphere with Christmas songs and cheer and 640 Christmas lunches served to Food for Life's Silver Standard. The record for Christmas lunch orders was totally smashed at Lacey Green with 89% opting for Christmas lunch ... which is just brilliant! However, Gorsey Bank's uptake was 95% which puts them in the lead ... this year.
Thank you to all our customers and to our Catering Teams who work so hard on Christmas lunch day and every other day!!
25th NOVEMBER 2011
SUCCESS AT LACEY GREEN PRIMARY ACADEMY
November has seen the introduction of School Food Company at Lacey Green Primary Academy where we have been made to feel very welcome by both the staff and the children.
After undergoing an intensive three week training schedule, the Catering Team are delivering a top class meals service making the majority of dishes from scratch! All cake mixes, milk powder and frozen pizza bases have been banished and replaced by wholesome ingredients that the children can't get enough of. Myriam Norman, Catering Supervisor, said "It has been hard work with the new menu and recipes but it has been worth it".
Our favourite comment was from Liam who said "I wasn't sure but this dinner is well nice!" and his friends must agree because uptake has increased to 50%, (national uptake currently stands at 39.9%), which just proves that good food made from scratch is what the children want!
12th OCTOBER 2011
NATIONAL ROAST DINNER DAY
We hosted a Food for Life Partnership Roast Dinner Day for children, staff and parents at Gorsey Bank Primary School to enjoy an organic/locally sourced roast dinner. The event celebrated the fabulous food the school is serving and the work it is doing to transform the food culture through cooking, growing and visiting farms. Roast Dinner Day also celebrates the catering team and their commitment to providing healthy, freshly prepared meals.
All schools throughout England were invited to take part in the event. This year over 6850 schools and 28 caterers participated, serving more than one million roast dinners on the same day ... with Gorsey Bank serving 320 of those meals.
Alison McGovern, School Cook at Gorsey Bank, said: "Our team cater to a very high standard here at Gorsey Bank and we are very proud of what we do. We enjoyed the event very much and it was great to be able to use courgettes grown by the children in the school allotment in our cheesy courgette sausage ... so thank you to the children for supplying those straight from the garden today!"
Through the Food for Life Partnership Award Scheme schools and their communities can turn their existing food culture into one that focuses on health, sustainability and enjoyment.
11th OCTOBER 2011
SCHOOL COOKS AND CATERERS TRAINING @ STYAL MILL AND GARDENS
Staff members from School Food Company attended this Food for Life Partnership event to learn more about locally grown produce, seasonality, composting food waste and growing for the school meals. We took part in a number of hands on activities followed by discussion and debate on the topics covered. It was a great day meeting with other likeminded catering companies and school cooks and sharing ideas and good practice. In the afternoon we were given a tour around the very impressive kitchen garden at Styal Mill and got to take lots of seeds and plants back to our school allotment. These days are very valuable to us and we must thank Food for Life Partnership for inviting us.
30th SEPTEMBER 2011
ACADEMY CONTRACT AWARDED TO SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY
We are delighted to announce that we presented the best overall solution for the school catering contract at Lacey Green Primary Academy in Wilmslow and are set to take over the running of the Academy's catering operation from 1st November 2011.
Anya Murray, Operations Manager, said "2011 has definitely been a good year for us; we have won two new contracts and have also been presented with the Soil Association's Silver Catering Mark for the second year running. We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious contract and our team cannot wait to get started. This is also great news for our local suppliers at 40p out of every £1 we spend on ingredients goes straight back in to our local economy'.
16th SEPTEMBER 2011
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY PASS WITH FLYING COLOURS
The inspector from the Soil Association came to visit today and was very impressed with our service. We passed the inspection with flying colours and continue to cater at their Silver Standard ... the only school caterer in East Cheshire to do so! We have worked very hard over the past five years towards this standard and will continue to work towards Gold. For more information on the criteria for this award please click on our 'Soil Association Approved' page. Well done to our team for their continued commitment to further improve school meals!!
5th JULY 2011
STEPHAN DISHES OUT FOOD FOR LIFE AWARDS
Celebrity food writer and TV presenter Stefan Gates presented School Food Company with the Food for Life Partnership Silver Award for its commitment to transforming food culture in the region. School Food Company was amongst a handful of caterers from the North of England who were commended for their achievements at the awards ceremony, which took place at Manchester Town Hall on Tuesday 5th July.
Stefan Gates said: "This is more than just an award ceremony. This is a celebration of schools and caterers that have succeeded in transforming their food culture. Young people in these schools are cooking, growing and eating fresh, seasonal, local and organic food and reconnecting with the farms that produce their food. These youngsters and their parents are celebrating good food and best of all it's giving them what will probably be some of the most enjoyable experiences of their school lives."
Anya Murray of School Food Company said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been presented with this award, we have worked hard over the past four years to achieve the award criteria. Our sales have increased by 20% since adopting the Food for Life philosophy and we couldn't be happier. By working with our schools and Food for Life we are promoting a whole school approach to good food, where good food comes from and why it's important to health and wellbeing."
(Pictured Anya Murray, School Food Company and Stefan Gates from BBC's Gastronauts)
28th JUNE 2011
CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR CATERING TEAM
Congratulations to the following members who successfully passed their NVQ Level 2 in Professional Cookery (Preparing and Cooking), Anya Murray, Lee Campbell, Helen Samwells and Lesley Bower.
The course was taken outside of working hours over a 9 month period with John Hall from Macclesfield College. The course is made up of practical sessions, theory sessions and formal examinations for each module. Special thanks have to go to John Hall our NVQ assessor who is blessed with a very patient manner and a good sense of humour. Well done team we are very proud of you all!!
(Pictured l to r: Lee Campbell, Lesley Bower, John Hall, Helen Samwells and Anya Murray)
17th MAY 2011
INTERSCHOOL CAKE DECORATING COMPETITION
Alison McGovern and Anya Murray, from School Company, were on hand to help with Gorsey Bank Primary School's cake decorating competition. 11 schools from the Wilmslow Education Partnership sent two children each to take part. The theme chosen was linked to the recent Royal Wedding and the children were asked to design and decorate a cake for William and Katherine.
Anya made a version of the 'rocky road' Royal Wedding cake which the children really enjoyed eating and Alison baked all the cakes for decoration and also demonstrated different techniques of decorating and icing cakes to the children. The children were extremely creative and showed great flair. A fun afternoon was had by all and the children learnt new skills and had the opportunity to make new friends too! The competition prizes were all linked to cooking and growing and the competition was won by Ashdene Primary School with Gorsey Bank a close runner-up. Well done to all the children who took part!
3rd May 2011
ST MARY'S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL
We are very pleased to announce our new partnership with St Mary's RC Primary School in Congleton, Cheshire. School Food Company now provide support to St Mary's in-house catering in the form of recipes, menus and responsibly sourced ingredients for their school meals.
We pride ourselves on producing menus full with freshly prepared meals that are tasty, nutritious and, most importantly, meals that appeal to children. We provide in-house training and support to the school's catering team to enable them to achieve our high standards in both food preparation and presentation.
As a result of our partnership, St Mary's have seen a rapid increase in the uptake of school meals ... this just goes to show what can be achieved with good quality ingredients!!
(Pictured: Beverley Maddocks, School Cook at St Mary's and Karen Martin, Contract Manager for School Food Company)
29 APRIL 2011
THE ROYAL WEDDING
We are all reading about how to 'Win a Prince's Affections' or how to 'Copy the Dress' or you may still be waiting for your invitation? Well there is one thing that we can all replicate from the big day and that is the wedding cake! Guests at the royal reception indulged in a multi-tiered chocolate biscuit cake at the request of Prince William, who is said to have developed a soft spot for the treat. The newlyweds commissioned biscuit maker McVities to craft the chocolate creation which is a personal favourite of the Prince and one that, it is reported, he used to make with his mother as a boy. Although the recipe was never released from Buckingham Palace this is our take on it ... Royal Wedding Cake Recipe.
21st MARCH 2011
THE CHILLI BANANA ARE HOT HOT HOT AT OUR FINAL WORKSHOP!
Steve and May Wakefield, proprietors and founders of Chilli Banana restaurant chain, did not disappoint with the third and final sellout FFLP Cooking Workshop. The Thai menu was simple and brilliant, starting with Gai Tom Ka (fragrant chicken and coconut milk soup), followed by Yam Nua (spicy beef salad), then by main courses of Gaing Keo Wan Gai (green curry with chicken) and Gai Pad Met Mamuang (stir fry chicken with dried chilli and cashew nuts) served with fragrant jasmine rice ... we will never cook rice in a pan at home again - we are all rice cooker converts! We were also treated to a master class of fruit and vegetable carving by their resident Thai chef although our tomato flowers needed a little more practice.
Thank you to Steve, May and their team at the Chilli Banana for giving us their time and for dispelling the myths around Thai cooking. If you would like to have a go at the recipes yourself click here. Alternatively, book at table at the Wilmslow restaurant or order a takeaway on 01625 539100. A visit to the restaurant is highly recommended if you want to try their signature dish "Chilli Banana" with is both sweet and spicy!! Also visit their website to see their menus and weekly specials - you can even order takeaway on line at www.chillibanana.co.uk .
We raised £340 from all three workshops towards Food for Life growing and cooking activities at Gorsey Bank Primary School so thank you to everyone involved for making these workshops so successful!!
14th MARCH 2011
HEDDY SHOWS US HOW TO CREATE A MIDDLE EASTERN MASTERPIECE AT WORKSHOP NO 2!
Our second Food for Life Cooking Workshop at Gorsey Bank Primary School was a sellout evening of fun, food, drink and Heddy ... what more could we want?
Heddy demonstrated a seemingly complicated but surprisingly easy Middle Eastern Menu, starting with homemade humus, followed by lamb chavourma and for dessert homemade pistachio and apricot ice-cream. Delivered with Heddy's charm and humour the workshop was very lighthearted and a great environment to learn new methods and recipes. For those of you who would like to try these recipes at home for yourself click here. If you fancy a night off from cooking why not book a table at Heddy's Restaurant in Wilmslow on 01625 526855 or at Heddy's other successful restaurant Stay in Alderley Edge village on 01625 584040. More details at www.heddys.com or www.stayrestaurant.co.uk
Thank you to Heddy for taking the time out of his busy schedule to share some of his recipes and shortcuts with us. Also, thank you to everyone who attended the event from various schools and community groups across East Cheshire.
7th MARCH 2011
CHRIS HOLLAND IS A SIZZLING SUCCESS AT OUR FIRST CHEF'S WORKSHOP!
From greeting our guests with a selection of wine, recipes to take home, to tasting the feast that followed, we now have a taste of success with our Food for Life Cooking Workshops at Gorsey Bank Primary School.
The star of the show was, of course, our award winning chef Chris Holland who took time off from cooking at the Alderley Edge Hotel to spend the evening with a sellout crowd. Chris is a first rate, organised and talented chef who showed us all how easy it is to make tasty, seasonal dishes without putting ourselves through the mill.
Chris demonstrated an impressive menu, starting with butternut squash soup, followed by roasted cod with garden herbs and caramelised lemon served with a butternut squash gratin and for dessert pannacotta with mango and crumbled biscuits. By breaking the recipes down to simple parts we learned how approachable these seemingly complicated dishes really were to prepare and cook. And they were absolutely delicious!
Thank you to Chris Holland for a fantastic evening and to our audience who attended from various Food for Life Partnership schools and community groups from across East Cheshire. If you would like to treat yourself to the ultimate restaurant experience book your table at the Alderley Edge Hotel Restaurant on 01625 583033. More information at www.alderleyedgehotel.com
By organising the Cooking Workshops at the school we are aiming to improve community links. Our goal is to make Gorsey Bank Primary School the hub of good food culture in our local community, actively involving parents and community groups in cooking activities.
7th, 14th & 21st MARCH 2011
LOVE COOKING - CHEFS WORKSHOPS @ GORSEY BANK PRIMARY SCHOOL
During March top local chefs and restaurant owners will be visiting Gorsey Bank Primary School to deliver Cooking Workshops.
Monday 7th March 2011 - Chris Holland, Award Winning Chef from the Alderley Edge Hotel, demonstrates seasonal cooking for all the family.
Monday 14th March 2011 - Heddy, Award Winning Restaurant Owner, demonstrates Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking for all the family.
Monday 21st March 2011 - Steve and May, from the Chilli Banana Thai Restaurant, demonstrate their Award Winning traditional Thai home cooking for all the family.
Each workshop will run from 7 pm - 8.30 pm, in the School Dining Hall, and will feature dishes for all the family to enjoy and hopefully cook for their selves at home. There are 60 places per workshop and tickets are priced at £5, (free glass of wine/soft drink on arrival). Tickets are available from the School Office at Gorsey Bank Primary School and this event is open to the whole community ... so tell your friends!! All proceeds from these events will be used to further develop the cooking and growing facilities for the children at Gorsey Bank Primary School. For more information please telephone Anya on 0800 731 6771.
7th-10th FEBRUARY 2011
KIDS COOK UP A STORM ON THE FOOD FOR LIFE PARTNERSHIP COOKING BUS
Children and adults from Wilmslow and the surrounding area enjoyed getting hands on with food on the cooking bus during its recent visit to Gorsey Bank Primary School, a Food for Life Partnership Flagship School.
Cooking buses are huge specialist built articulated lorries which open out in to spectacular purpose built kitchens/classrooms. They are staffed by qualified food teachers who deliver practical lessons to young people and the wider community and training for teachers, youth workers and health professionals.
Our sessions covered key aspects of food education from food preparation skills to nutrition, food safety and hygiene - but above all both young and old were taught how to cook.
Even catering staff from Gorsey Bank Primary School, and other Partnership schools, couldn't resist taking a 'Busman's Holiday' and joined in with the cooking activities.
School Food Company would like to say a special 'thank you' to Focus on Food for inviting our Catering Team on to the bus, everyone who attended enjoyed the experience and one or two of us learnt something new too!
The Big Lottery is funding the Food for Life Partnership, which includes the dedicated Cooking Bus run by Focus on Food. This Cooking Bus will visit all 180 flagship schools in England. For more information on the cooking bus or to find out how your school can apply for a visit click here.
WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY 2011
WORKING TOWARDS 5 A DAY
Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A Day. That's why it's so easy to ensure you get your five portions.
Fruit and vegetables don't have to be fresh to count as a portion. Nor do they have to be eaten on their own: they also count if they're part of a meal or dish.
In a bid to get children to increase their uptake of vegetables we have introduced a number of homemade vegetable soups which are available at both morning break and lunch time. These warming soups are served alongside various salads, vegetables, fresh fruit, dried fruit and a selection of fruit juices to support the 5 A Day incentive.
Why not try making soup at home with your children? Click here for a copy of our two most popular soup recipes.
For more information on 5 A Day click here.
THURSDAY 2ND DECEMBER 2010
THOUSANDS CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO 'SAVE OUR SCHOOL DINNERS!'
Today the Food for Life Partnership handed in a petition to Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families, calling on Government to 'Save our School Dinners!' and protect school food during the changes to school budgets.
The petition, signed by thousands of concerned parents, families, teachers, school caterers and individuals is also supported by organisations representing hundreds of thousands more people who care about school food and know that the government must also demonstrate its commitment if a healthy, economically viable lunch service is to succeed.
School food is special. Good food in schools can help the Department for Education achieve its aim of a high standard of attainment for all pupils and help promote equality and fairness, 'closing the gap' between rich and poor pupils. School food affects children's health and for some children the school lunch is the only meal they will receive in a day, as the Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Tim Loughton, acknowledged in the Commons. The school catering service as a whole can contribute to a thriving economy, mitigate environmental damage and encourage responsible food habits. These benefits are too good to lose.
The signatories of this petition urge the Department for Education to continue Government leadership and financial investment in good food in schools, to protect the school food budget aand support the continuation of the transition to a healthy school meals service, for the lasting benefit of children's health and their ability to learn and achieve.
For full article click here.
THURSDAY 11TH NOVEMBER 2010
DIG FOR VICTORY - A CALL FOR SCHOOLS TO TEACH FOOD GROWING SKILLS
A broad coalition of education and gardening charties today launched a new report calling for all children to be taught food growing skills in school. The report, "every school a food growing school" makes the case that teaching children how to grow food should be a vital tool in nudging children toward a healthier diet and thus reducing childhood obesity. It goes on to explain how this initiative could help the new government to achieve key objectives such as raising education standards and buliding a "Big Society".
Alan Titchmarsh said: "Connecting children with the earth is vital for their own wellbeing and that of the planet. Not only should they know what they are eating, they should also understand how it grows. That way they are assured of a healthy future. It's fun too!" For more on this story visit www.foodforlife.org.uk
FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2010
LEADERS OF FOOD CULTURE
WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2010
ROAST DINNERS ARE RECORD BREAKING!
FRIDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2010
DON'T GO BACKWARDS ON SCHOOL MEALS
WORDS BY JEANETTE ORREY
Just as evidence starts to show school meal take up is rising, spending cuts and the return to a price driven economic mentality threaten the work of recent years. School meals champion Jeanette Orrey pleads for no return to the 'bad old days'.
Five years ago a very good mate of mine, Jamie Oliver, put his heart and soul into the school meals debate, bringing to everyone's attention the way a lot of - but not all - school caterers were feeding children at school. It was not the school cooks or, in some cases, even the caterers who were at fault - it was all driven by price and that drive was down as far as you could go.
In 2005 that started to change, for the first time the school meals service received money to invest in the service. Many, many people who had for years been campaigning to get better school meals with standards into all schools, thought they could see light at the end of the tunnel.
Now that could all change again and, as usual, the people who will suffer are our children and the dedicated, underpaid catering teams across the country who serve over three million meals a day.
School meals are a good way of ensuring that schools can work towards their 2020 sustainability targets. The meals can use locally sourced, freshly prepared and organic produce, which can reduce our carbon footprint. They can also provide local, part time employment for parents, and work towards tackling the damaging fast food culture.
Child poverty - what child poverty, in 2010, surely not? Yet around one million children in the UK still live below the official poverty line. I have personally visited over 1,500 schools, some in the most deprived areas of the country, and I have seen children both in primary and secondary schools whose only meal is the one at school. They are coming to school without breakfast and will go home to nothing.
This is not a one off. These children will do this day in and day out, children who do not know how to use a knife and fork, who never sit at a table, who never eat without the TV on or share a meal with parents, brothers or sisters.
Article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development'. The Government is under a duty to provide 'material assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to nutrition'. No child in the UK should go hungry.
If the 'Big Society' means anything, it must mean teaching the next generation about food - where it comes from, how it is grown and how to make informed choices later in life. This could save the country a huge amount of money in the long term. The projected cost of obesity to the NHS alone is 10 billion by 2050.
This is not about preaching to either parents or children. I hope this is showing a way forward where communities come together. This is why back in 2003 Lizzie Vann and I took, to the Soil Association, an idea called Food for Life which brought together food, education and farm visits.
This small idea has become the Food for Life Partnership, a Lottery funded five-year programme to transform food culture in thousands of schools, with our partners Focus on Food, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust. It works!! We are showing what is possible by helping schools integrate food across the curriculum and to reach out to the wider community, bringing young and old together. Exactly what a big society should do.
We cannot go backwards. We have come too far. Every one of our children, not simply a few, deserve better. The catering staff in schools and local authorities across the country have delivered everything that has been asked of them and more - they also deserve better.
Food standards have been put in place for every state school in Britain, and more children are eating school meals - the numbers are going up.
America is looking at what has been achieved in this country and some US states are implementing the same standards. We are told that ministers in the new Government believe they can drive up standards by encouraging competition and innovation. Do they think of our children as commodities?
Food is about education and I have always firmly believed that school meals should be part of the education service, not a bolt on. We cannot and must not go back to how it used to be for the sake of the next generation.
Words: Jeanette Orrey. Source: Cost Sector Catering.
WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER 2010
NEW BEGINNINGS FOR THE SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY
The Dinner Ladies have changed their name. The recipe still remains the same, as do the team behind it, just a new company name. Our Company has changed over the years and so we now need a name that represents both the catering and consultancy areas of our business. Our new name is the School Food Company and we are looking forward to further developing our business and moving it forward. Thank you to our clients and suppliers for their continued support.
THURSDAY 29TH JULY 2010
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY ARE AWARDED THE SOIL ASSOCIATION'S SILVER CATERING MARK
The School Food Company is the first catering company in Cheshire to be awarded the Soil Association's Silver Catering Mark. Our company has been externally audited, by the Soil Association, to ensure we provide a service that meets their high expectations.
The School Food Company welcomes the opportunity of working with the Soil Association to further develop our menus and our supply chain.
We are now looking forward to the Awards Ceremony next year where we will be presented with our trophy in recognition of our meals service and our support of local suppliers, growers and farmers. Please refer to our Food Provenance page for more details on our Silver Catering Mark.
SATURDAY 10TH JULY 2010
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY LAUNCHES ORGANIC BOX SCHEME IN ASSOCIATION WITH RIVERFORD ORGANICS
MONDAY 5TH JULY 2010
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY MOOOVE OVER TO ORGANIC MILK
In line with our initiative to increase the amount of organic produce on the menu, we are now only using organic milk in the delivery of our meals service. This includes milk for the children to drink and milk used in cooking.
Organic cows enjoy a natural forage based diet and are not fed GM, solvents or animal based feeds. Organic farmers believe that the stress imposed on animals by unnatural and intensive regimes such as feeding high levels of inappropriate protein to stimulate rapid growth or milk production, intensive housing or the routine use of antibiotics and other drugs can all cause health problems. Organic dairy farming reduces the pressure on cows to produce ever-higher amounts of milk, resulting in a less stressful and more natural existence.
For more information on organic food go to www.soilassociation.org
WEDNESDAY 9TH & MONDAY 14TH JUNE 2010
LOWER HURST FARM – THE JOURNEY FROM FARM TO FORK
The children had an action packed day with a tour of the farm, followed by questions and answers, an organic home cooked lunch, a tour of the production plant, a tour of the butchery and then an opportunity to make their own meatballs!
Read what the children thought of their day on the farm by clicking here.
WEDNESDAY 26TH MAY 2010
FOOD FOR LIFE PARTNERSHIP’S COOK IT CAMPAIGN
Members of staff from the School Food Company and Gorsey Bank Primary School were invited to join the Food for Life Partnership, together with a group of parents, to run a Cook It Workshop with Year 4 children from their school. The school was presented with a Cook It kit, (equipment for food preparation worth over £800), which will enable the children to prepare and cook fresh food.
THURSDAY 22 APRIL 2010
BRIAN TURNER DISHES OUT PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOL FOOD AWARDS
Today we were invited to watch celebrity chef and TV personality Brian Turner present the prestigious Food for Life Partnership Awards to schools from the North of England, who have excelled in transforming their food culture.
Brian Turner said: "This is more than just an awards ceremony. This is a celebration of schools that have succeeded in transforming their food culture. Young people in these schools are cooking, growing and eating fresh, seasonal, local and organic food, and reconnecting with the farms that produce their food. These youngsters and their parents are celebrating food and best of all it's giving them what will probably be some of the most enjoyable experiences of their school lives."
All the schools at the awards ceremony now serve school meals on plates, not flight trays, and have a range of locally sourced and organic items on the menu. All the schools also have cooking clubs, and pupils get to cook with and eat the produce grown in the school growing area. Parents and the wider community get involved in food education via food-themed events.
Jeanette Orrey, School Meals Policy Advisor for the Food for Life Partnership and the famous dinner lady who inspired Jamie Oliver to do his campaign, hosted the awards ceremony. She emphasised how much had happed in the school food arena since she co-founded the original school food campaign with the Soil Association back in 2003.
Jeanette Orrey said: "When we started campaigning for better school dinners we had no idea that more than 2,000 schools would have joined the campaign and not only improved their school dinners, but also embraced food education. We must make sure that all this good work carries on and that the party that wins the election makes a good, healthy and sustainable food culture in schools and their communities a priority."
The School Food Company are working with schools in the North West to help transform their school meals and school food culture. We are working very hard towards the Silver Award with Gorsey Bank Primary School and also our Silver Catering Mark which we hope to be collecting this at the April 2011 Awards Ceremony.
(Pictured, Brian Turner with Anya Murray, Company Director of School Food Company)
MONDAY 15 MARCH 2010
FOOD FOR LIFE BRONZE AWARD
Gorsey Bank has been awarded the Food for Life Partnership Bronze Award for its healthy and climate-friendly food culture.
Gorsey Bank is working with the Food for Life Partnership and School Food Company to transform the school's food culture, and that of its local community, by reconnecting the children with climate-friendly, healthy and real food.
As part of the bronze award scheme, School Food Company are serving seasonal schools meals at the school, over 75% of which are freshly prepared by experienced school chef, Alison McGovern. The school also gives every pupil the opportunity to visit a farm, cook and participate in food growing activities during his or her time at school, and pupils and parents are involved in making improvements to the school's menu and dining experience.
Gorsey Bank has achieved the Bronze Award in record time and is looking forward to continuing the journey towards Silver and Gold. This journey will include the launch of the school allotment, with children having the opportunity to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs organically. This organic produce will then be used in the school kitchens and in the school meals. The children will also learn about composting and have hands on experience using compostable waste from the school and the school kitchens. Gorsey Bank will explore, with the children, the ethical and environmental issues around food choices and will underpin this knowledge with visits to local farms and businesses.
Susan Garrod, Head Teacher at Gorsey Bank: "The brilliant thing about working with the Food for Life Partnership is that our children benefit in three ways. They experience the provision of high quality food in school, they learn to cook and they learn to grow food. Until now, cooking and growing have not appeared in the curriculum until KS3 and 4. We are proud to have received the Bronze Award and are now eagerly working towards Silver and Gold."
Anya Murray, School Food Company: "This has been a fantastic journey for all the catering team at Gorsey Bank. We are thoroughly enjoying working so closely with the school in providing our school meals service. Composting, home grown organic fruit, vegetables and herbs, locally sourced ingredients, free range and organic produce, what more could we ask for?"
TUESDAY 9 & WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH 2010
COOKING FOR SUCCESS WITH FFLP
School Chef, Alison McGovern and Contract Manager, Anya Murray were whisked away by the Food for Life Partnership to the Cooks Training centre in Penrith in Cumbria for a two day course on cooking in a FFLP school kitchen. This course provides a fantastic opportunity for School Cooks to improve/enhance their skills and take all their new and fresh ideas back to the children, where catering providers allow. We met lots of interesting people and gained lots of knowledge of how other schools and Local Authorities are working through the Food for Life Partnership Awards scheme. This course was hosted by the original Dinner Lady herself Jeanette Orrey. Jeanette Orrey is one of the UK's most well known, widely respected and inspirational experts on school food policy. Jeanette knows how to make any group of people feel totally inspired about what can be achieved, and gives them the confidence to take her expertise back to their own workplaces. Jamie Oliver's Campaign Manager was also on the course to learn, first hand, how to prepare and serve a variety of healthy, tasty and freshly prepared school meals - it is good to know that school meals are still very much on Jamies agenda! Jeanette is pictured here with her own Jamie and a selection of dishes prepared by school cooks, (including Alison and Anya), from the North West.
WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2010
TASTER SESSIONS ARE COMPLETE SUCCESS
Children at Gorsey Bank Primary School are enjoying weekly tasting sessions during their lunch break.
We are actively consulting the children about possible improvements to the dining experience and agreeing actions based on their suggestions. It was strongly suggested to us, by the children, that they would like to have an option of "try before you buy" on the new dishes to be featured in the Spring/Summer menus. We have paid particular attention to the vegetarian options which the children tend not to pick as, the majority of the children we feed, tend to favour the meat and fish options which are more familiar to them.
This intiative has proved most successful and we are already seeing an increased take up of vegetarian options across each week such as vegetarian lasagne and super chow mein. The children have also been key in developing new recipes for our carrot and onion bhaji and falafel and pitta which will be featured in our Spring/Summer menus.
TUESDAY 12 JANUARY 2010
ONLY 1% OF PACKED LUNCHES MEET SCHOOL MEAL NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS
The School Food Trust's Chief Executive, Judy Hargadon, today responded to a report on children's packed lunches published by the British Medical Journal's Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The research found that, of 1,300 packed lunches surveyed across the UK, only 1 per cent met the nutritional standards set for school lunches.
Judy said "Once again, this research highlights why buying a well-balanced school lunch is now the most nutritious choice for children and young people. The Trust's own research in schools has also found that packed lunches often aren't as nutritious as school lunches, with many lunches brought from home containing higher levels of salt, fat and sugar.
"Now that nutrient-based standards are in place, parents can be sure that the average school lunch is offering the right mix of energy and 13 nutrients that children need - so we're encouraging more families to give them a try."
(source: School Food Trust) For more information visit www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk.
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER 2009
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY ARE THE WINNERS OF MARKET KITCHEN'S LOCAL FOOD HEROES 2009
The competition between the 10 National Finalists of Market Kitchen's Local Food Heroes was fierce. However, the judges decided that, with their championing of local produce and unwavering community spirit, Anya Murray and her School Food Company team ticked every box required.
School Food Company have succeeded in making free range and organic products go from farm to fork, so children can taste food at its best, helping them to get excited about what they eat, and get excited about local produce. Their suppliers have benefitted in increased sales too, as chldren often ask their parents to buy products featured in their lunches, so they can enjoy them at home.
School Food Company are absolutely delighted to win the competition, and have not only scooped the prestigious title, but a stunning trophy and £5,000 to invest in their business.
Celebrity chef, Brian Turner CBE, chair of the judging panel said "The School Food Company's win is thoroughly deserved and I am glad that already other schools are taking an interest. This, in my mind, is the kind of scheme that should be set up nationwide to protect the future of our youngsters. Keep it up!"
(Pictured l to r: Alison McGovern, Head Chef at Gorsey Bank Primary School, Matt Tebbutt, Market Kitchen Presenter and Anya Murray, Company Director of School Food Company)
More information at uktv.co.uk
FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2009
FLAGSHIP STATUS - FOOD FOR LIFE PARTNERSHIP
Gorsey Bank Primary School has been selected, by the new Lottery-funded Food for Life Partnership, to become one of 180 Flagship Schools and Communities across England that will be recognised as national leaders on food quality and food education.
Taking up the challenge, laid down by Jamie Oliver's school dinners campaign, the Food for Life Partnership has been funded by the National Lottery over five years from 2007 to help transform food culture in schools across the country.
School Food Company, together with Gorsey Bank, will now receive hands-on support from Food for Life Partnership staff to acheive a Food for Life Partnership Gold Mark which will put us at the top of the league table on food culture in school.
Anya Murray of School Food Company said, "By becoming a Flagship School, we want to inspire, rather than force, the children to eat a healthy, climate-friendly diet by giving them an opportunity to see how food is produced and to cook and grow their own. This is an amazing opportunity for all involved."
MONDAY 23 OCTOBER 2009
SCOOL FOOD COMPANY ARE THE WINNERS OF THE NW REGIONAL FINALS FOR MARKET KITCHEN'S LOCAL FOOD HEROES
School Food Company are overjoyed to be named as the winners of the North West regional finals for Market Kitchen's Local Food Heroes.
The programme was shown on Monday 23 October at 7 pm on The Good Food Channel (Sky 249) and Brian Turner, celebrity chef, announced School Food Company as the North West regional winners.
The expert panel of judges, consisting of Thomasina Miers, Michael Caines, Brian Turner, Allegra McEvedy and William Sitwell voted unanimously for School Food Company to go through to the national finals in London.
All 10 regional winners are now invited down to London to appear on Market Kitchen. The overall national winner will be announced on the show, (to be screened on Friday 11th December), and will receive a fabulous trophy and £5,000 to celebrate their achievement.
Anya Murray of School Food Company said "This is a fantastic achievement for School Food Company and it just goes to show what can be done using the wealth of local produce available to us here in Cheshire. Thank you to all our suppliers and to everyone at Gorsey Bank for their continued support".
(Pictured l to r: Matt Tebbut, Market Kitchen Presenter, Anya Murray, Company Director and Alison McGovern, Head Chef at Gorsey Bank Primary School)
WEDNESDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2009
CHESHIRE RURAL WOMEN'S AWARDS 2009
School Food Company have scooped up yet another award! Our very own Anya Murray was presented with a Cheshire Rural Women's Award, sponsored by Reaseheath College, for her work in the local community with the School Food Company and also for her contribution to other local businesses.
This year 13 Awards were made for achievements in areas as diverse as rural business, voluntary and community service, and work with parish councils, young people, Women's Institutes and the Arts.
The event was organised by a partnership of private, public and voluntary sector organisations led by Cheshire County Council. Gaynor Bowen-Jones, Cheshire County Council's Rural Development Officer said "We are proud to celebrate the achievements of Cheshire's rural women through this seventh awards evening. This event has gone from strength to strength and continues to bring many Cheshire organisations together to pay tribute to women who are making a real difference in our rural communities."
THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2009
WE ARE REGIONAL FINALISTS - LOCAL FOOD HEROS 2009
School Food Company are thrilled to be named as one of the three regional finalists for the Market Kitchen Local Food Hero award of 2009.
Local Food Heros 2009 is back for it's fourth consecutive year with Good Food channel's Market Kitchen championing all that's great about regional food businesses. Food lovers across the nation have nominated and voted for those businesses that help put great food on our plates; from farm shops to food producers, online businesses, restaurants and more.
Market Kitchen's very own Matthew Fort and Matt Tebbutt will, between them, visit the three shorlitsted businesses in each region and present a feature later in the year on Market Kitchen. A panel of expert judges will then assess the strengths of each business and choose one winner from the 10 regions.
All 10 regional winners will be invited down to London to appear on Market Kitchen. The overall national winner will be announced on the show and will receive a fabulous trophy and £5,000 to celebrate their achievement.
"Thank you to everyone who voted for us, we can't thank you enough!"
WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY 2009
PUPILS GROW THEIR OWN LUNCH
Pupils at Gorsey Bank Primary School have been growing their own lunches!
Our Catering Team at Gorsey Bank were able to transform the lunch time salad trolley with the harvest of garden peas, nasturtiums, rocket, radishes and three types of potato which were made in to mixed salads and fresh potato salad.
Anya Murray of School Food Company: "The children, involved in the gardening club, have worked really hard and it is fantastic for them to share this with all their school friends. It is also fantastic for us, as a Catering Company, to work this closely with the children to deliver this quality home grown produce directly to the whole school. We are now realising our ambition of reconnecting children with where their food comes from and why choosing healthy foods is important. It has been a memorable day for all involved."
WEDNESDAY 1ST JULY 2009
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY HELP TO GET CHILDREN COOKING
School Food Company are joining forces with Gorsey Bank Primary School in Wilmslow to run an extra curricular school cookery club with Years 1 - 6.
This cookery club offers the opportunity for pupils to learn and practise practical food skills and will build on what pupils learn in the curriculum. Through the cookery club these children will:
* Enjoy practical "hands on" cooking
* Enjoy eating the food they make
* Learn basic food skills
* Apply food hygiene and healthy eating messages
Anya Murray of School Food Company: "We are very excited to be involved in this school cookery club. We are hoping to link up with the school gardening club to demonstrate not only how to cook a meal but also how to grow a meal. If the children enjoy the club then we will look at offering cookery clubs to other local primary schools."
FRIDAY 1ST MAY 2009
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY ARE OFFICIALLY 'MADE IN CHESHIRE'
To support our commitment to local produce, School Food Company have become members of the Made In Cheshire organisation.
Made in Cheshire is a membership organisation, which raises awareness, organises events and provides business support aimed at promoting Cheshire food and drink and its producers within the county, nationally and internationally.
The president of Made in Cheshire, The Duke of Westminster, states that our County is an incredibly special place with a wealth of local produce. Made in Cheshire will build on this by showcasing the abundance of undiscovered county produce. This on going support enables the organisation and its members to flourish and prosper.
School Food Company are proud to be members of Made in Cheshire and will continue, through their menus, to support our local producers, growers and farmers.
Further information on Made in Cheshire can be found at www.foodnw.co.uk
THURSDAY 23RD APRIL 2009
GOING FOR GOLD WITH THE FOOD FOR LIFE PARTNERSHIP
School Food Company are working closely with the Gorsey Bank SNAG (School Nutritional Action Group) to attain gold standard under the school awards scheme with the Food for Life Partnership.
The Food for Life Partnership is a network of schools and communities across England committed to transforming food culture. The Partnership is led by the Soil Association with the Focus on Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust. Together they work to revolutionise school meals, reconnect young people with where their food comes from and inspire families to cook and grow food.
To qualify for their Gold Award, Gorsey Bank must first complete Bronze and Silver. In order to qualify for an award schools need to demonstrate progress in four important areas:
- Food leadership (whole school approach and food policy)
- Food quality and provenance (seasonal, fresh, local and organic ingredients)
- Food education (cooking, growing and farm links)
- Food culture and community involvement (dining experience and community links)
Gorsey Bank are well on their way to completing their Bronze Award but don't take our word for it, check out their progress at www.foodforlife.org.uk where they have their very own webpage.
FRIDAY 2ND JANUARY 2009
SCHOOL FOOD COMPANY WIN GOLDEN APPLE AWARD
Gorsey Bank Primary School has become the first ‘Opt Out’ school winner of the Golden Apple Award thanks to their new catering company School Food Company.
The Golden Apple Award Scheme recognises businesses in the food service sector that make it easier for children to choose healthier meals when dining out. Eating out has become an increasing part of people’s lives, so by achieving the standards of the Golden Apple Award businesses can play a part in helping to improve children’s health in the Borough.
This prestigious award is presented by the Health Improvement and Environmental Health Team at Macclesfield Borough Council in recognition of the high standards achieved in providing healthy and delicious food for the children of Cheshire.
More details on the Macclesfield Borough Council website.
MONDAY 15TH DECEMBER 2008
CHRISTMAS LUNCH FROM FARM TO FORK
The children at Gorsey Bank are looking forward to a very special school Christmas lunch this year. These children will be tucking in to free range bronze turkeys thanks to Andy Morrison of Horseshoe Farm in Alderley Edge.
Anya Murray, of School Food Company, said, “Horseshoe Farm is our supplier of eggs but I did not think of approaching them to supply our Christmas turkey. Free range turkey would not normally be affordable within the strict budget of a school meal. However, Andy is so passionate about farm-sourced food and how this food ends up on our table that he has made this possible for us. It just goes to show what can be done when local businesses work together!
We are absolutely delighted with what we have accomplished over the past year at Gorsey Bank. It is fantastic to have farmers and suppliers being actively involved in the school. We really feel that we are giving something very worthwhile back to our community; something that we are very proud of."
THURSDAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2008
PIGS MAKE FLYING VISIT TO GORSEY BANK
Local pigs were brought to school to help the new Reception children with their class project on the three little pigs. Andy Morrison, of Horseshoe Farm, was happy to bring in his new piglets which he is using as part of his breeding programme. Andy believes in caring for his stock and rearing with care and affection and welcomed the opportunity to pass these whole-hearted home values on to the children.
Mrs Austin, Reception Teacher, said, “We are so grateful to School Food Company for organising this and to Andy for taking time out of his busy schedule to bring his pigs to see the children. It is amazing that we have this resource at our fingertips. The children just loved the whole experience!”
THURSDAY 1ST MAY 2008
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD @ GORSEY BANK PRIMARY SCHOOL
No such thing as a free meal? There is now, thanks to the school lunch tasting session at Gorsey Bank on Thursday. Children and parents alike had their taste buds tickled by a number of dishes from the new summer menu. Gorsey Bank have recently switched to a privately owned catering company who were eager to showcase what they had to offer. The new catering company, School Food Company (Cheshire) Limited, pride themselves on sourcing ingredients locally and keeping their business within the local community. Also on hand to answer questions were three of the local suppliers, Andy Morrison of Horseshoe Farm, Alderley Edge, Peter Brooks of Langs Butchers, Wilmslow and Pete Dicken from McDonalds Fruit and Veg in Mobberley. Susan Garrod, (Head Teacher), said “We are delighted with our new school meals service. We were ready for the change and we have not been disappointed.”