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“CaterMap catering consultants… improving school food, catering services, and child nutrition throughout the UK” John Crowther, CaterMap

Why use us?

New legislation, funding and a recent groundswell of public opinion has given the best opportunity to improve the quality of school food since regulations were removed in 1980. Schools can transform the food they offer children and many are already seeing the physical, social, and educational benefits for their pupils.

The law and your responsibilities

Governors with delegated budgets have a responsibility to ensure new food-based standards are being met. Their responsibilities include:

  • ensuring nutritional standards are met
  • deciding on food dishes and ingredients
  • providing free school meals to eligible pupils
  • providing facilities for pupils bringing packed lunches
  • deciding where and when water is made available
  • setting snack policies

The School Food Regulations (2007) are mandatory, and schools are legally obliged to comply. Ofsted will be monitoring a school’s approach to healthy eating as part of its regular inspection of schools. Within the Ofsted Self Evaluation Form (SEF) there is a list of the legal requirements a school has to meet.

School meal reform timetable

The new school food standards cover all food sold or served in schools, including breakfast, lunch, after-school meals, vending machines, mid-morning snacks and after-school clubs. The timetable for implementation has started:

  1. September 2006: interim food-based standards for school lunches
  2. September 2007: food-based standards for food other than lunch
  3. September 2008: primary schools to meet new nutrient based standards for school lunches
  4. September 2009: secondary schools to meet new nutrient based standards for school lunches

Grants and funding options

We can advise whether your school is eligible for grants for:

  • sustainable catering services
  • improving school food
  • implementing healthy food activities
  • kitchens, equipment and facilities procurement
  • capital projects
  • training

How CaterMap can help your school catering

Our two principal catering consultants each have more than twenty-five years practical catering experience within schools, colleges, and universities. Our professional catering consultancy service has helped many past and current clients. They offer the most sincere, relevant and direct feedback to reassure you about proceeding with further discussions.

Contact CaterMap no-obligation enquiry