New primary school lunch menus

Shropshire County Council’s school meals service has announced the menus that will be served in the county’s primary schools from next term – with children set to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious, high-quality and locally-sourced produce.

Menu items being served during the first week of term (Tuesday 2 September – Friday 5 September) include: Caribbean pork, or Caribbean Quorn with noodles; roast beef and Yorkshire pudding; sausages with herby diced or boiled potatoes; salmon fillet with chips, hot and cold wraps with garlic and herb wedges; Neapolitan pasta; tuna and sweetcorn bake, and assorted pizzas. All are served with either vegetables or salads.

All items on the menu are sourced as locally as possible, and many meet the highest national food quality standards.

For example:

- Meat and poultry products used on the menus are sourced from within the UK, with many coming from Shropshire and the West Midlands. All of these products meet the ‘Red Tractor Assured Food Standards’.

- Eggs used in schools - which are all free range - are from farms in Oswestry and south Shropshire.

- Salmon fish products used on the menu are produced in Britain, and meet the ‘Marine Stewardship Council’ standards.

- Pork meatballs, sourced from the UK Foodhall in Shrewsbury, are made from British pork, and meet the ‘Quality Pork Standard’.

The new menus have been analysed using the ‘Saffron system’ – special software which monitors exactly what nutrients are in the food provided to pupils – and have been shown to meet the Government’s nutritional standards for all 14 main nutrients, including carbohydrate, fat, protein and fibre. (see note 3)

Ann Hartley, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Over the past three years we have been working hard to ensure that the foods served in our schools are nutritious, locally-sourced and of the highest quality. I’m delighted that this year’s menu offers children a fantastic selection of foods, which will ensure they can eat a tasty and healthy lunch at school every day. Parents really can be confident that Shropshire’s school meals are, and continue to be, amongst the very best in the country.”

The price of a meal next term will be £1.80 for a main course and dessert. Some children may qualify for free school meals. More information about free school meals is available by calling (01743) 254368, or by following the link.

The menus can be seen via the publications link, or are available from schools on request.

Further information

(1) See attached for menus to be served in primary schools next year.

(2) Local producers and suppliers include:

Andrew Francis butchers (Ludlow)
Phil Perks butchers (Shrewsbury)
Belton Cheese Ltd (Whitchurch)
Muller Dairy (Market Drayton)
Chester's Choice greengrocer (Wem)
Grinnall's greengrocer (Stourport)

(3) The nutrient-based standards state that an average school lunch must provide a specified amount of energy; must provide at least a specified minimum amount for carbohydrate, protein, fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron and zinc; and must include no more than the specified maximum amount of fat, saturated fat, non-milk extrinsic sugars, and sodium.

1 August 2008