Tasty and Nutritious: How our Menus Support Student Health

Our menus are constantly evolving and designed around pupil feedback and input from the Chapter One food development team. 

Once we have completed a termly menu cycle, we review which dishes and snack items have been popular and which haven’t, based on pupil and staff feedback, food waste monitoring, and client review meetings.

In conjunction with this, we engage with pupils regularly through foodies group meetings, to help gain a better understanding of what they would like to see on the menus.

We want to provide a food offer that appeals to all pupils, and we are continually reviewing what we do to ensure we deliver a food service they are delighted with. We have recently launched a street food range of dishes and hot deli sandwich options in our schools, these concepts were designed in response to pupils wanting flavours and styles of dishes that they enjoy eating at popular on the high street cafes and restaurants.

We broaden the range of dishes on offer to appeal to a wide range of tastes and dietary preferences.

We centre our offer around children, menus are written in an easy-to-understand way, with familiar words to explain what the dish is. Our approach is to provide a good weekly mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes, and discuss with our clients any further special dietary requirements. Simple family favourites with a mix of more contemporary global inspired dishes as an additional option, keeps the offer interesting for older prep pupils and staff.

Educating palates, expanding pupils’ knowledge of ingredients, flavours, and textures

Linking in with the school curriculum and running theme days, supplier demonstrations, cookery workshops, and seasonal tasting tables, all help to provide opportunities for children to try new ingredients and dishes, it also helps us adapt our menus.

Seasonal and local

Our food philosophy is to develop great tasting, seasonal menus, using the best of British produce. We source top quality ingredients from trusted suppliers who share our food ethos.

Making dishes as appealing and wholesome as possible.

Modern cooking techniques and a wide array of ingredients in dishes go a long way to promote healthier food preferences. Different pulses, grains, and vegetables, mixed in with more familiar ingredients increases the nutrient value of a dish and encourages pupils to try different flavours, spices and textures.

Ensuring our menus are healthy, nutritious, and balanced, as well as popular with pupils

We want all our pupils and staff to look forward to mealtimes. This means having a mix of familiar family favourites, alongside more contemporary global inspired dishes that are popular on the high street with older pupils. We also want parents to feel confident their child is eating a balanced, nutritious, and filling meal every day. We do this by creating menus that are popular and regularly introducing different concepts and styles of food, all seasonal, freshly prepared, and above all tasty.

Menus that meet the dietary requirements of children and young adults

As pupils move up through the years, their tastes change and confidence to try new ingredients and styles of dishes build. We have lots of fun and engaging ways of facilitating this, from tasting tables, chef, and supplier demonstrations, and termly menu tastings. We include a range of dishes at every mealtime to ensure we cater for a wide range of different tastes and appetites, from the simple, to the more adventurous sophisticated palette.

Hatherop Castle School’s approach to food is rooted in a commitment to variety, quality, and pupil engagement. By continually evolving the menu based on feedback and trends, the school ensures that mealtimes are both enjoyable and educational. The emphasis on fresh, seasonal, and nutritious ingredients, along with diverse global dishes, meets the dietary needs and preferences of all children. Through interactive events like tastings and cookery workshops, Hatherop Castle fosters a love for food, encouraging our children to expand their palates and explore new flavors. This holistic approach not only supports healthy eating but also enriches the overall dining experience for the entire school community.