News

Following customer research that identified a demand for complete school food solutions and easy to follow guidance on maximising the school food offer, Brakes has launched a new programme of support.
The programme includes all the tools school caterers need to rise to the challenge of delivering great tasting and nutritionally compliant school food, whatever their budget.

With the School Food plan set to be published and the ongoing requirement for many schools to reduce costs, the pressure is on for school caterers to raise standards and influence the eating habits of school children by encouraging healthy and varied diets.

The Brakes School Food Guide and the Brakes School Food Club have been developed following focus group research amongst customers to identify the key support that school caterers require and how best to deliver it.

The Brakes School Food Guide, available in both print and online, covers everything that caterers will need to know to run a successful school catering business, including top selling dishes, menu cycles and recipes which are fully compliant with the school food standards, point of sale and menu solutions, to legislation and operational procedures, and everything in between.

The online support builds on the information in the guide by offering access to further offers, menu & PoS (point of sale) design solutions, marketing support and regular updates on the latest school food news.

Also launching as part of the school food support programme, Brakes has been working closely with suppliers to develop a range of new bespoke branded food solutions for primary and secondary schools.

The concepts, which are exclusive to Brakes, help schools meet demand for high street style concepts and shorter queuing times, and sit alongside the existing Pasta Pronto, Substop and Café Culture concepts.

McCain 2Go
Created for Secondary Schools, 2go is a complete break or lunch time solution with fully analysed potato based recipes, customisable point of sale and branded collars.   Easy to make, serve, hold and eat this package will ease kitchen management and keep pupils coming back for more

Bernard Matthews We’ve Got Street Food
To introduce primary school pupils to exciting world cuisine and make lunch times more colourful and fun, recipes from around the world can now be made in three simple steps. Choose from noodle, rice, tortilla, naan or pasta bases, add one of the ‘low in saturated fat’ pre-cooked British turkey breast chunk products and finish off with extra sauce and vegetables.

Freezing Cow
Developed by Brakes, Freezing Cow is a delicious new frozen yogurt concept which enables operators to tap into the growing trend for great tasting, innovative and healthier versions of favourite products. Low in fat, a good source of calcium and quick and easy to scoop, Freezing Cow offers a great alternative to ice cream and features distinctive modern branding and can be customised with a wide variety of toppings to meet different tastes.

Wayne Tessier, Brakes Business Unit Director, said: “Our new programme of school support ensures that we’re not just a supplier to our customers, we’re a partner that can offer long term sustainable solutions, helping to make their lives easier and helping to maximise their operation wherever possible.

“Being a partner for our customers is particularly important in the education sector where caterers face a huge challenge to maintain a successful balance between delivering against pupil expectation, legislative requirements, budget, skill set and operational needs. Not to mention marketing and managing Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility.

“The importance of school food to pupil health and achievement is being recognised on a wider scale and expectations are higher than ever before. With the introduction of the new school food programme, Brakes can help caterers successfully negotiate any issues and ease the growing pressure.”