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New ideas for getting the kids excited about school dinners
We speak to school food expert Louise Wagstaffe, from Premier Foods, to get her post-holiday hacks to feeding the next generation
What are your top tips for school chefs getting ready for the September term?
It’s a new start so reassess your audience – children and staff – and check with the school office if existing pupils or new intake have different dietary needs due to religion or allergies.
That will help give you a broad picture of what your menus might look like, but you also need to refresh and retrain your team around what good looks like when it comes to skills and portion sizes.
It’s a good time to look again at seasonal foods you want to use and whether you can use local producers.
How can schools keep their menus interesting for pupils without breaking the budget?
Theme days, especially after children have been away on their holidays, are a great way to introduce some new and different cuisines that they will love. Holiday food such as curry, piri piri rice, katsu chicken or tacos are always a hit, but make sure you keep your tried-and-tested favourites in the menu cycle.
Encourage the children to try something different because if you get it right, you’ll have full tummies and empty plates every time. If you don’t, find the thing that works.
What’s your advice for reducing food waste while still offering variety?
More schools are taking the issue seriously by encouraging pupils to pre-order at morning assembly, either through their teacher or software. This helps with accurate forecasting.
Getting portion sizes correct with the right balance of well-cooked tasty veg to protein also encourages empty plates. Where there is waste, growing numbers of schools are working more closely with food companies on recycling initiatives.
If it’s veg like broccoli that’s left, grill it with chilli oil or garlic for a bit of a twist.
“Peer pressure is a big thing so lay on taster sessions to get the children’s opinions. They’ll always be honest with you!”
- Louise Wagstaffe
What quick wins can chefs use to freshen up menus and make life easier?
Children love trying new things and have a more sophisticated palette than people think, so always consider adding spices, herbs, oils and sauces to your regulars for a quick switch-up.
Peer pressure is a big thing so lay on taster sessions to get the children’s opinions. They’ll always be honest with you and help you shape your menus.
The main thing is to keep it simple so save time by creating one veg stock as a base for all your sauces to get the right umami with Bisto Veg Bouillon or Gluten Free Granules.
What food trends are you seeing?
We’re seeing a lot of global trends such as Japanese chicken katsu, Chinese bao buns and African tagines – a great way to reduce the protein from meat and replace it with lentils and pulses. There’s also a big move towards noodles – for example udon with a chicken broth – as children are influenced by restaurants they and their parents visit.
What products are must-haves?
The new Homepride Everything Tomato Sauce allows chefs to work across a variety of cuisines and is packed with vitamins C and D plus fibre.
No added sugar jelly offers better food nutrition whereas Butterscotch Angel Delight is a big retro hit and can be easily elevated if drizzled with caramel miso or toffee sauces.
On a savoury and personal note, I still think it’s wonderful to see that Bisto Gravy remains a huge favourite with children.
Have you seen any great examples of schools doing something creative with your products?
One school I visited recently made Yorkshire puddings with Homepride Plain Flour and turned them into a wrap with Cajun chicken. It went down a storm, was delicious and was something the older pupils could eat on the go.
Italian days are always winners, so a good tomato and basil sauce is perfect for a pasta sauce foundation or as a pizza sauce base… in fact, lots of different dishes.
In some schools children are using Hovis bread mix to make their own rolls, naans or flatbread. It teaches them the science of baking, it’s fun and the mixture of fibre and 50/50 bran is very good for them. Because they’ve made it, they love to eat it.
Others are focusing on the educational side of food which gives children an insight into its source and benefits.
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