Job swap for National School Meals week

CATERed - Plymouth’s school meal provider - has organised a job swap between one of its kitchen managers and a top local chef as part of National School Meals Week.

On Monday 2 November Bridget Pook, Catering Manager from Stoke Damerel Primary School was joined by two pupils from Mayflower Academy to help out at family run bistro, Jolly Jacks. Bridget was busy in the the kitchen, while the children helped out seating customers and handing out menus.

Then on Tuesday 3 November Jolly Jack’s Head Chef Chris Scantlebury  joined Bridget at Stoke Damerel Primary School to learn that cooking a school dinners wasn't just about frying some chips!

Bridget from Stoke Damerel Primary School said: “I’m really proud of the food we produce in schools across the city and I was really keen to get into the Jolly Jacks kitchen to show them just what a CATERed school chef can do.”

Managing Director of CATERed, Brad Pearce said: “We wanted to do something a little bit different for this year’s National School Meals Week.  A lot of people still have the misconception that our school chefs are just frying chips when in reality that is not the case. All our kitchen managers are trained to a high standard and are passionate about the food we serve.  Bridget, along with 55 of her colleagues from CATERed schools across the city, is currently honing her skills at City College Plymouth.”

Jolly Jacks Head Chef Chris said: “We pride ourselves on cooking great quality, locally sourced food so we were really happy to be asked to take part in the job swap. As the head chef in a local bistro famous for its food I’m looking forward to seeing just how different school meals are now compared to when I was at school.”

The swap was being done during National School Meals week, which runs from Monday 2 to Friday 6 November, to showcase the range of healthy and delicious school lunches that are currently being provided by CATERed.

Some of the meals on offer include Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings, Beef Meatballs and Egg Noodles and Vegetable Stir Fry.  Vegetarian options are available every day and all meals are served with a selection of seasonal vegetables.

A fresh salad bar is also available daily along with a selection of jacket potatoes and fillings. Desserts include Sweet Apple Crumble and Custard and Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Councillor Sue McDonald, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Public Health said: "If a child eats a healthy balanced main meal at lunchtime they are better able to concentrate for the rest of the day and National School Meals Week is helping to raise the profile of school meals and how important it is for our children to eat well.”

Visit www.catered.org.uk  to find out more about the menus they have on offer