Healthy children learn better
Fresha has a vision to improve the life chances of children through the food choices that are made for them by the school and the caterer. At this present moment in time school represents one of the best opportunities to educate children in healthy lifestyles and change behaviour in a positive, meaningful way.
What children eat and what they learn about food, impacts upon their health, on their education, their behaviour and on the environment and economy. Huge benefits accrue from investing in children’s diets from an early stage. The short-term dividends we reap include happier and healthier children ready to learn and able to play a positive role in their schools and communities.
What our children eat and importantly their understanding of how it arrives on their plate and the impact it has on their health are an important part of this.
We want to build on the progress Fresha has made so that food in schools is properly recognised and understood as a substantial financial and ethical investment, which supports children into adulthood.
With the environmental challenges we face in the coming years, change is essential if we are to become sustainable in our food supply to schools and children. School food presents a significant opportunity to rise to these challenges, Fresha’s Responsible Catering shows how everyone involved in school food can have an impact.
Why choose Fresha for your school catering?
We strongly believe in…
Ensuring that school food provides affordable access to good
nutrition for all children and optimising the uptake of school meals,
in particular for those children receiving free meals.
Championing fresh, seasonal, local and sustainable produce.
Using school food as part of a whole school approach to support learning as an integral part of the curriculum.
We take pride in crafting high-quality, nutritious and inspiring menus
Whilst we give a focus to dishes which are known to be popular, we balance these meals with introducing new tastes, promoting health, connecting to food cultures and purchasing sustainably produced food.
By serving school food that drives dietary behaviour change and supports health
and environmental goals.
Where possible, we prepare dishes from fresh ingredients, we have control over
the amount, type and quality of all our ingredients and avoid unnecessary
additives.
We are dedicated to delivering reliable, dependable and highly effective school catering services
We believe every school requires a caterer who can view the service as not just a commercial activity, but one that requires knowledge and experience in a range of catering skills that can be shared with and for the benefit of the school.
- Accessing healthy, affordable food can be a real challenge for many families. For some children and young people, especially those entitled to free school meals; a meal provided in school may be their only nutritious meal of the day.
- Fresha has a strategic approach to training and support, which embraces the school approach and brings catering and other staff together for the benefit of the children.
- Our successful school food provision and dining experience depends on the confidence, knowledge and skills of our teams. Every one of our employees has a consistent approach and sense of purpose.
- Fresha’s model of school food and drink provision has been recognised by such organisations as Public Health England as outstanding.
We help teach nutrition and food-related topics in D&T lessons
There is some inspiring work in some of our schools engaging with children through the context of school food.
- We believe in giving children the knowledge to help them make the best choices for a healthy life. By schools taking part in practical food activities, the children are inspired to explore the techniques and ingredients to make meals, for example, a variety of salads.
We help you increase school meal uptake
We see encouraging trends in the take-up of Fresha school meals. In many cases, in schools we work with, food and drink are already regarded as an integral part of education. It is valued for providing good nutrition for children while delivering multiple commercial benefits to the wider local community through our local sourcing and purchasing.
We encourage engagement with parents
At Fresha, we see Parents’ Evenings as an important opportunity to provide information and engage directly with parents to promote the benefits to children having school meals.
- Information provided covers all aspects of school meals including menus, special diets and eligibility for free school meals. We also provide school meal tasters.
- All our school cooks are asked to attend, demonstrating a whole school approach to school food.
- We actively support termly Census Days to help maximise revenue for the school.
We prioritise sustainability through school meal procurement
The challenge is to find practical and affordable ways to supply the school meal service with healthy, fresh, seasonal and sustainably grown foods. Working with Fresha, school food can be used to explore a range of issues around sustainability.
Book a Tasting Session at your School
As Fresha’s Owner, I strongly and passionately believe in the delivery of healthy and nutritious meals to children. I have two boys that attend a local state primary school, the supply of nutritious meals to children is a cause close to my heart.
The same is true for many of Fresha’s staff, whose children also attend Devon schools. Under my direction, the whole Fresha team works together, in a caring and diligent way to provide the best school meals possible.
Let’s arrange to meet up to start the conversation and then I can book you in for a free initial tasting session at your school.
Paul Banks, Managing Director
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