Tick off Bronze and Silver for... Using seasonal fruit and veg

 4 October 2011 – If you’re using produce from your school garden or allotment, and/or other seasonal fruit and vegetables in your school meals, you can tick off Bronze and Silver criteria.

Criteria
Bronze: Our menus are seasonal and we highlight in-season produce
Silver: We include a range of locally sourced items on our menu

Resources

Why not use some of your garden produce in your roast dinners for Roast Dinner Day on Wednesday 12 October? Remember, by taking part you can tick off even more of the criteria. If you would like to take part, email our events coordinator Natasha Moseley at nmoseley@soilassociation.org

This seasonal nutrient swap booklet gives you month-by-month tips for meeting nutrient standards in school meals using fresh, local produce.

Check the Food for Life Partnership website for CPD events and training opportunities on food growing happening near you.

Case study

Chef John Rankin at Penair School in Cornwall has built up strong relationships with local suppliers and teaches the pupils about the importance of eating local, seasonal produce. He says: "The success of Penair kitchen goes beyond just the management of cost and balancing the books, which is obviously important; the kitchen has vastly improved with the direct involvement of local, dynamic and responsive suppliers. It is based on the philosophy that, school food provision has its place within the overall education of the children."

Read the case study.

School Blog

Pownhall Hall School in Cheshire put their beans and courgettes in the freezer over the summer holidays and are enjoying them now, along with more beans and courgettes picked this month. Some of the younger children had never even seen a runner bean before. Read the blog.