New Menu for Leicestershire Schools

Children have listed their favourite foods and helped design a new healthy winter menu which will be served up in school dining rooms across the county next week.

Home-made freshly baked bread, mouthwatering lamb bolognese and succulent roast chicken are just some of the dishes pupils from Burbage Junior School helped the County Council’s School Food Support Service (SFSS) choose to go on the menu.

Before they hit the dining halls all the dishes were assessed by a dietician to ensure they meet strict nutritional standards.

Wendy Philp from Leicestershire County Council’s SFSS said: “We’re thrilled to have worked so closely with Burbage Junior School to launch the new menu.

“We made questionnaires for the pupils to find out what their top ten favourite meals are and spent a long time looking over their responses. We hope what we’ve created will match the children’s expectations.

“It’s been great having the children involved. We know that this is going to be a menu that they will enjoy eating as they have come up with it themselves.”

Schools across Leicestershire will have an option of a tasty main course such as juicy roast gammon, a super salad to get their veg count up, and a divine dessert to finish off the meal.

There has over six percent increase in the uptake of school lunches from September to October half term 2010 - in comparison to the same time last year.

Ivan Ould, County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “At a time when we’re hearing that children won’t eat their fruit and veg, this is a fantastic example of a healthy and balanced menu that the children will enjoy.

“It is great that children are getting involved in letting us know what they like and helping us shape their menus in this way.

“It is vital to offer something healthy, nutritious and appetising at dinner time. We are delighted to see the numbers of children taking up school meals are increasing and we are working hard to make sure this continues.”

SFSS has been in meetings with the school council at Burbage Junior School to hear their thoughts about the menu. Members will receive a free school meal and sit on the ‘top table’ to represent the school when the menu is launched on Monday (Nov 29).

Richard Harris, headteacher at Burbage Junior School said: “The pupils got their thinking caps on and worked really hard to think up some healthy but tasty ideas for the winter menu.

“I’m really pleased with how much thought they’ve put into this. We’re all looking forward to seeing the menu that has been created from their ideas.”