High nutritional standards and immediate compliance with government regulations up to 2009 standards
Already our nutritional standards meet the high levels that will come into legal force in September 2009. So you can rest assured that your school meets the government's strict standards of food and nutritional quality.
All our menus are analysed nutritionally so that our two-course meals meet children's nutritional needs over a three-week period.
Varied menus and cafeteria-style menus for secondary schools
We offer a range of nutritious and appetising hot and cold light meals and snacks, alongside the two-course menu in our secondary schools. We also offer a 'daily special' hot meal for variety and choice.
Excellent communication between schools and Whole School Meals Ltd
As a local company, we maintain strong contact with our client schools. Our Operations Director visits schools regularly, along with our Mobile Trainer. Our Directors are all local people.
Staff would benefit from training in craft skills and nutrition
We have a policy of maximising opportunities for our catering staff to improve their skills and gain qualifications.
We employ a mobile trainer to provide 1-1 and small-group craft skills training, on-site.
All our cooks and assistant cooks have participated in bespoke training to enable them to prepare our menus from scratch.
We have supported 13 members of our of team to take NVQ Level 2 cooking and craft skills qualifications. Our staff have attended Level 2 accredited training in Nutrition. Several have attended School Food Trust events including regional conferences.
We would offer similar opportunities to any staff transferring to our employment under a new contract to provide the school meal service.
A wider-interest in young peoples' well-being
Our company is firmly rooted in the school community and in close contact with parents, grandparents, teachers and, of course, children. If follows that we have an interest beyond serving nutritious and tasty school dinners.
From January 2008 we have become part of the Chances4Change project funded by the Big Lottery's Well-Being Fund. Over the next three years, Whole School Meals will be working with schools to offer our young people opportunities to explore the benefits and pleasures of eating well.
Early activities under the Chances4Change programme include a "Big Fish Day", after-school cookery clubs and parent and child cookery classes. We are building links with local food producers and will bring together school children with farmers and producers of local foods.
This programme will build over the coming months and there will be an opportunity for all our schools, including schools outside the KCC contract, to benefit from these activities. These events, as well as offering benefits directly to the children and young people involved, support schools' aspirations to achieve, maintain or develop further their Healthy Schools status.
If you would like to talk to us about the service we could offer your school, please contact Julia Hallett, our Operations Manager, on 01304 611010. Or by email.
We currently provide the school meals service to 20 schools in Deal, Sandwich, Dover and surrounding villages.
Our schools include 2 secondary schools, urban and rural primary schools. These include schools without their own kitchens, which are served from one of our production kitchens. Meals are transported in insulated boxes and served hot at the servery-only schools.
In addition to our KCC-contracted schools, we also cater for schools with an independent contract. Vale View Primary School recently joined us on that basis.
Would your school like to join our client schools and receive a professional and high quality service from Whole School Meals Ltd?
We are able to offer a contracted school meals service to schools in the Deal, Dover, Canterbury and Thanet areas.
What are the benefits?
