school meals

[stu]

the school provides really nice looking and tasting meals and it rear that there not something on offer i will enjoy, the problem is the size of the portions, they have slightly smaller plates to give the illusion of a larger portion and today took the biscuit (actually i bought 2 then went got hot sandwich to try full up) it was a chicken breast in bread crumbs and salad, problem was the amount of salad could have been dished out with a table spoon and the chicken breast was tiny, i would have thought they would notice the difference between child portion and adult portion and even if they charged accordingly I wouldn't mind it just the pitiful amount offered is annoying.

thanks

[Ric_]

I'm a bit full after my school dinner - lamb stew with new potatoes, brocolli, cauliflour, carrot and swede... and a sponge pudding with custard for desert!

[Batman]

I usually do a pasty in the microwave. All good, but yesterday's one made me ill so I'm having something else today.

 

Our catering's done by Amey and it's not amazing, not many staff use it. Not many students do either, now I think of it!

[daveyboy]

Our Menus

 

Thought you might like to see our menus.............

[Batman]

Could I see the wine list please?

[stu]

Our Menus

 

Thought you might like to see our menus.............

 

blocked by county

[daveyboy]

Its B.Y.O.............

[elsiegee40]

Our food is excellent! We use a catering company that supplies locally sourced food and our cook is fab.

 

The mains are really tasty and as for her cakes... *salivates * Today was lasagne, salad and garlic bread (or spicy vegetable pittas for the veggies). It was carrot cake for pud, but I resisted temptation today!

 

A couple of years back, my son ended up in school with me when snowed out of his own school... after filling up on Toad in the Hole (with extra sausages, cos half our kids hadn't made it in) and all the trimmings, he then had syrup sponge and custard. It's a meal he's never forgotten as those are probably two of his most favourite food items! He's all for our cook changing schools!

[Gonk]

the school provides really nice looking and tasting meals and it rear that there not something on offer i will enjoy, the problem is the size of the portions, they have slightly smaller plates to give the illusion of a larger portion and today took the biscuit (actually i bought 2 then went got hot sandwich to try full up) it was a chicken breast in bread crumbs and salad, problem was the amount of salad could have been dished out with a table spoon and the chicken breast was tiny, i would have thought they would notice the difference between child portion and adult portion and even if they charged accordingly I wouldn't mind it just the pitiful amount offered is annoying.

thanks

 

Stu

 

My mum has been the head cook in a primary school in Pembrokeshire for nearly twenty years, my nan (mum's mum), was head cook in a Pembrokeshire secondary schoolfor over forty years. They both agree with you Stu, portion sizes are getting smaller. Hell everyone in the school kitchens today will agree with you!

 

School meals, here anyway, are seen as a profit making business rather than a service providing heathy meals to the pupils and staff in the schools, which IMHO is bol***ks. School meals were never about making money, they were about making sure that the pupils were fed and healthy, ready to learn!

 

From memory, I think my mum is working on a budget of £1.50 per pupil.

 

I think that says it all.

[elsiegee40]

This school has the right idea!

 

Times Online - School serves lunch to village

 

Cooking for the public has not only saved their jobs, it has made them up their game.

 

“This is much better than any restaurant,” one diner said. “I’ve booked my table for the rest of term.”

[stu]

Stu

 

My mum has been the head cook in a primary school in Pembrokeshire for nearly twenty years, my nan (mum's mum), was head cook in a Pembrokeshire secondary schoolfor over forty years. They both agree with you Stu, portion sizes are getting smaller. Hell everyone in the school kitchens today will agree with you!

 

School meals, here anyway, are seen as a profit making business rather than a service providing heathy meals to the pupils and staff in the schools, which IMHO is bol***ks. School meals were never about making money, they were about making sure that the pupils were fed and healthy, ready to learn!

 

From memory, I think my mum is working on a budget of £1.50 per pupil.

 

I think that says it all.

 

it all good food that sold here and if that quote is accurate then i can see y quantity is lowered by quality but there a line and today it was just little to far past.

[rolfea]

we get good food too

 

but it takes two burgers, a pasty, mash and salad to fill me up

.. which actually sounds good. might have that tomorrow =D

[grumpy_git]

Our school meals are run as a profit-making enterprise by one of County's cowboys - sorry, contractors. I think the school gets a cut of the profit, and has certain leeway regarding the operations and prices.

 

The food is alright though nothing to write home about, but they never cook enough - obviously wanting to avoid waste. Thus kids who have a lunchtime activity and go in last, don't have much if any choice and have to buy sandwiches at break.

 

Last time I bought food there (nigh on 2 years ago now) it was about £1.80 for a dinner, then another 80p for a dessert, 60p for a tiny bottle of drink.

 

Only times I go there are inset days when it's free!

Edited May 12, 2009 by grumpy_git

[powdarrmonkey]

Our school meals are awesome, especially with staff subsidy. Portions are good generally, but I get extra because the ladies in the kitchen have decided I need feeding up

[witch]

Dorset got rid of school meals in first and middle schools some years ago, so there was nothing for us. However, they are in the process of bringing BACK hot school meals as the government has decreed that children do better after a proper meal. Of course none of the schools have a kitchen any more so that has caused endless problems. Meals are being bussed in in hot containers by outside contractors.

Having said that, some of the senior schools which always had a canteen are going to be providing food to the middle and first schools - Poole Grammar for one.

The junior school I work in has just started serving hot meals again - they are of reasonable quality as far as I can tell - we just get the leftovers!

Actually I am quite glad I can't get to a proper meal at lunchtime - I would definitely get fat!

[ButterflyMoon]

Our meals are dire to say the least and at £2 for a set meal (who else has curry rice and macedon for a meal???) Sandwiches come in at upwards of £2.20 also!!! The quality is appalling too.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Our canteen food makes me burp. I usualy just bring in sandwiches.

[Quackers]

I have not eaten from our school for a few years, its disgusting, over priced, and size of meals are small. I either go to local sandwich shop, chipshop or supermarket.

 

In september they went to these set meals which made things even worse. Then you have the person in charge of catering for schools in Staffordshire having the cheek to say their meals are good. Will be better if the school got rid of the County Catering service and went back to "cook in house" like it was about 10 years ago. School Dinners Face Troubled Future After Jamie Oliver Expose | UK News | Sky News

[Ric_]

Our food is good and there's no way you can complain at £1.65 for two courses!

 

I think stu just annoyed the catering staff - hence the small portions - or maybe they just really like me?

[stu]

ahem 2 courses there both tiny especially the desert

[dirtydog]

Our food is good and there's no way you can complain at £1.65 for two courses!

 

I think stu just annoyed the catering staff - hence the small portions - or maybe they just really like me?

 

ours is cheaper than that... namely FREE and the food is great 99% of the time too!

[jamesb]

The biggest thing I miss through no longer working in a private school is that I no longer get free meals. Good quality meals, large portions, fresh-cooked. Its almost enough to tempt me back into working in schools.

 

On the other hand since having left my BMI has now dropped to ideal.

[sidewinder]

I refuse to eat here - the food is foul. We have it on training days though as its free and although occasionally it tastes ok, usually its bland, insipid and flavourless, since they refuse to use any salt or seasoning. Ridiculous

 

And I'd put money on it that nothing is locally sourced, just the cheapest nastiest meat the catering company can get their hands on, and the salad usually tastes like its been sat out for a week

[stu]

got a better portion today but still was little on small side but it'll last me till i get home and snack

[localzuk]

My main complaints with the meals in school are:

 

Lack of flavour. Due to kids not liking strong flavours, they seem to avoid herbs and spices.

Lack of cheese - anything with 'cheese' in, actually seems to be shown the block of cheese and that's it.

Egg sandwiches - mashed egg on white bread. Not exactly nice

Baguettes - the hardest bread you can imagine.

 

Personally, I prefer going elsewhere but sometimes laziness kicks in and I stump up the £2.00 for a sandwich + drink + desert or £2.50 for hot meal + drink + desert.