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School caterer Aspens Services hosts healthy eating roadshow for Runcorn students

10 May 2012 | North West Region

School caterer Aspens Services recently hosted a healthy eating interactive roadshow for students at St Chad’s Catholic and Church of England High School in Runcorn.

More than 200 year eight students, aged 12 and 13, took part in the event which included the chance to taste fruits including dragon fruit, pomegranates, durian and star fruit and try lemonade made using fresh lemons (and compare it with a shop-bought version).

School meals boss leaves Warrington Borough Council

23 January 2012 | North West Region

Warrington Borough Council School Meals Catering Service has announced that Gordon Carson, its catering services manager, has left the company to start his own school food advisory service.

He will also end his role as chair of the North West School Meals Caterers Forum.

During a council/service wide efficiency restructure, Carson decided the time was right to move on and start his own business given the direction and dimension that his service was taking.

Bolton pupils win iPad2 from Viva Daily Win promotion

12 January 2012 | North West Region

LACA partner Pritchitts has given away an iPad2 to pupils from Harper Green School in Bolton as part of its Viva Daily Win promotion.

Every school day between June and December secondary students across the UK won an iPod shuffle and schools won £100 worth of sporting equipment by entering their Viva pack code at www.vivamilk.co.uk.

In honour of National School Meals Week, Harper Green picked up the star prize after pupils entered the highest number of Viva codes for the week.

Harper Green was presented with the iPad2 by Pritchit

Wirral Council urges parents to claim free school meals

15 December 2011 | North West Region

Wirral Council is urging parents to claim free school meals for eligible children, as schools say that many are still not claiming the meals they are entitled to.

In recent years the numbers of children receiving free school meals has been linked to school funding.

This means that even if a child takes a packed lunch into school rather than eat a hot meal, it is important that parents claim any free school meals their children are entitled to as this will impact on the funding schools receive for resources like books and computers.

Schools now follow guidelines as to ho

Cumbrian chefs crowned champions of Electrolux Professional's recent Schools Competition

3 May 2011 | North West Region

Budding young chefs from St Josephs Catholic High School, Cumbria, stole the show at Electrolux Professional's recent Schools Competition.

Kieran Ditchburn and Shane Stevens wowed judges with their menu of locally sourced ingredients. The team's menu of Cumbrian Farmhouse cheese soufflé followed by herb crusted Lakeland lamb with sweet potato and chantenay carrots showcased their culinary skills and flair in the kitchen.

Bolton Council's school meal catering service scoops top award

9 January 2011 | North West Region

Bolton Council's school meal catering service has won the category of Most Improved Performance in Education Catering at the Association for Public Sector Excellence (APSE) awards.

The team beat off competition from East Dunbartonshire, Kirklees, Liverpool, Manchester, North Lincolnshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire councils to scoop the award.

The team was praised for keeping meal expenditure to a minimum, free meal-take up and for sourcing food locally.

Hot school dinners extended in Bolton

3 January 2011 | North West Region

A scheme which provides school meals for £1 to all primary school pupils in Bolton has been extended until March.

The council introduced the £1 offer in January to encourage more children to enjoy a healthy hot meal.

Cutting the price to £1, from £1.80 in 2009, has seen the take-up of dinners shoot up. Around 70% of pupils in 95 primary schools are taking meals compared with the national average of 47%.

This means 2,735 more meals have been served per day, adding up to an extra 520,000 meals dished up over the year.