Hampshire food: Cold days – hot lunches!

Children in Hampshire’s schools can look forward to something warm to eat for lunch when the weather is cold, damp and unpleasant.

Options include a roast dinner, which is available twice a week, turkey curry, and fish on a Friday. For the vegetarians, choices include favourites such as sweet potato and lentil curry, vegetable and bean bake, and Italian tomato pasta.

Every meal is provided with vegetables or salad, together with either potatoes, pasta or rice. Dessert is a choice of fresh fruit, or a handmade pudding, such as raspberry love cake and custard or date and banana cake.

Did you know ‘local’ was a key word for Hampshire’s school meals? Hampshire County Council’s Catering Service (HC3S) uses local produce wherever possible, sourced from around 26 local suppliers and this includes locally grown vegetables, beef and pork from Hampshire farms, apple juice from Selborne, and free range eggs from the New Forest. In addition, our suppliers ensure all fish is from well managed, sustainable fisheries.Our links with local suppliers were also recognised this year with an award from Cost Sector Catering, when HC3S was named Education Caterer of the Year 2011. The judges particularly liked the relationships HC3S had built with local suppliers to provide bespoke products such as Hampshire apple juice.

Hampshire’s primary school meals comply with the recommendations of the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) for the removal of specific additives that may affect children’s behaviour. Since 2005, over 70 additives have been removed from our meals. HC3S was re-accredited by HACSG in 2011 and is still the only local authority caterer to hold the HACSG’s Highest Award for School Catering.

What’s more, in 2011/12, we’ve frozen the price of a school meal at £2 for a third consecutive year.

If you are still not sure whether your child would like a hot school lunch, why not let them join in one of the fun theme days that schools will be holding this term.