The new school nutrition guidance recently announced by the Government for state schools places an increased focus on healthy, balanced food choices. At Sidcot, we are pleased to say that many of these principles have already been at the heart of our catering approach.
In September last year, we introduced wholegrain pasta and brown rice across our menus, adding more fibre and wholegrains to our everyday offering. At the same time, we removed sliced white bread and replaced it with more nutritious alternatives. We’ve also been exploring how to make healthier choices appealing and accessible to students. We introduced smoothies as an alternative dessert this academic year, giving students another way to enjoy fruit while reducing reliance on traditional desserts. Whole fruit is also available throughout the day, making it easy for students to choose a healthy snack whenever they need one.
Our menus are planned to include plenty of vegetables, with a variety of colours, textures and ingredients incorporated across the dishes we serve. We also take a creative approach to increasing vegetable intake, including adding vegetables to some of our meat-based dishes where they complement the recipe, boosting nutritional value without compromising taste.
Alongside healthy eating, allergen awareness and student safety remain a key priority at Sidcot. We operate as an allergen-aware site, and everyone in our community is regularly reminded that nuts must not be brought into school. All catering staff and student-facing staff have received allergen awareness training, exceeding the recommendations set out in Benedict’s Law. This helps ensure that our team understands the importance of identifying, managing and communicating allergen risks throughout the school.
Ultimately, our aim is not simply to follow guidance, but to make healthy food an enjoyable and normal part of everyday school life. By offering nutritious choices alongside food that students genuinely enjoy, while maintaining a strong focus on allergen awareness, we hope to encourage positive eating habits that can last well beyond their school years.