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
| 
