Select Committee on Education and Employment Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 8

Memorandum from City of Westminster Council

  1.  Thank you for giving the City Council the opportunity to submit written evidence to the Education Sub-Committee.

  2.  Children in primary and special schools in Westminster are offered a multi choice menu served on a four weekly cycle. The menu allows a choice to be made between three main courses and two desserts plus fresh fruit. At least four mixed salads are available each day as well as white and brown bread. Nursery children are provided with a choice of two main courses with dessert or fresh fruit. "Nursery bites" eg celery, carrot fingers are also available. New menus are planned every six months to take account of healthy eating and what children will enjoy.

  3.  Westminster has introduced colourful "Healthy Heart and Vitamin" characters into its primary and special schools to promote healthy eating and raise awareness about the nutritional content of food items. The characters appear in the twice-yearly newsletter, form the border of a large attractive menu board and are on the menu itself.

  4.  Sample primary school menus, a copy of the menu board (reduced in size) and two editions of the newsletter "The Chompion" are attached.[2]

  5.  Seven out of eight secondary schools in Westminster have a cash cafeteria service offering a meal of the day and a wide selection of individually priced items. All healthy items such as salads, wholemeal bread sandwiches and jacket potatoes are clearly indicated on the tariff. To encourage more children in secondary schools to take up the healthier items on the menu the City Council has negotiated with its meals contractor reduced prices for these items. The reduction in prices came into effect from September 1998 with discounts ranging from between 5 per cent and 20 per cent. At the same time an "Eat Fit, Keep Fit" promotion was undertaken whereby each healthy eating item on the tariff attracts a certain number of loyalty points. Points accumulated can be exchanged for a scratch card and the opportunity to win a free meal/drink or a free swim at any of the Council's leisure centres.

  6.  The "Eat Fit, Keep Fit" tariff, table "talkers" and the meal of the day menu are attached. I also attach a copy of an article which appeared recently in the magazine "Food Service Management" highlighting the opening of a new state of the art dining room at St Augustine's Secondary School. [3]

  The City Council is pleased to contribute to the inquiry on school meals and I hope you find our submission helpful.

John Harris

Director of Education, City of Westminster Council

July 1999


2   Not printed. Back

3   Not printed. Back


 
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