Over at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, the kitchen team served up their annual Christmas lunch, showcasing the delicious and nutritious meals provided to support pupils’ wellbeing and learning. The festive lunch was attended by the Mayor, Councillor Oscar Ford, alongside Tara Geere, Director of Starting Well and Barbara Nicholls, Strategic Director of People.

HES Catering will be exhibiting at the conference, providing you an opportunity to meet our team and learn more about our service and offer.

If you are considering switching the catering provider for your school, pay us a visit at the conference.

Entry to the conference is completely free but you will need to register for a place using the registration button below.

We look forward to seeing you there.

https://mondale-events.co.uk/event/east-london-essex-education-governance-conference-exhibition-2026/

When it comes to lunchtime,
this lady’s a whizz.
Just ask anyone,
Michelle’s food is the biz.

She mashes,
she mixes,
she moulds
and she makes.

All the food on our menu –
even the cakes.

She can knock up a baguette,
a posh sort of sarnie.
Or for something more special,
a chicken byriani.

And if that’s not enough,
there’s a pasta choice too.
You want cheesy tomato?
Then join the queue.

So remember this November
the date is below.
It’s Scott’s Poetry Party,
let’s all give it a go.

By Michael Rosen

 

VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day, which is celebrated on 8th May each year and marks the formal end of World War II in Europe in 1945.

The wonderful kitchen team over at St Peter’s Catholic School pulled out all the stops to mark this special day from the decor down to the food. Pupils were served a tasty selection of British favourites… cheese sandwiches, ham sandwiches, sausage rolls and refreshing, crunchy carrot and cucumber sticks on the side.

The kitchen team over at St Peter’s continuously make dining an exciting experience for pupils!

 

You may have heard about the ‘Mayor’s Meals’ initiative which provides pupils in Years 3 to 6 with free school meals, courtesy of the Mayor of London.

Our school meals are a great benefit to your child. Each meal is specially curated by an executive chef and nutritionist to ensure that pupils get tasty and nutritious meal options daily.

The benefits of choosing school meals instead of packed lunches include:

• Better learning outcomes thanks to improved concentration, memory and problem-solving skills
• Healthier eating habits: balanced meals teach pupils better long-term eating practices
• Saves time and money: packed lunches can cost over £2.76 a day to match the nutritional value of a school meal
• Help our school access up to £2,010 in extra funding (Pupil Premium) for extracurricular activities, teacher development and support for children

All children eligible for Pupil Premium payments will still benefit from Mayor’s Meals. Pupil Premium funding is a grant from the government paid directly to schools and used to improve educational outcomes. Each Pupil Premium payment grants the school an extra £2,010 per eligible pupil which contributes towards this pot of money.

To check your eligibility and grant your child’s school this funding, please click here.

Did you know? Our school caterer, Delish, recently introduced allergen free days to all school menus? This means that every meal, including sides and desserts, is completely free from the 14 declarable allergens. This exciting change ensures your child will have a safe and inclusive dining experience where they will be able to enjoy new and adventurous allergen free dishes with their peers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re pleased to introduce allergen free days to all school menus. Meals served on this day, including sides and desserts, will be entirely free from the 14 declarable allergens, providing a more inclusive dining experience for pupils.

The 14 declarable allergens include celery, gluten-containing cereals (wheat, rye, barley, oats), crustaceans (prawns, crabs, lobsters), eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs (mussels, oysters), mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide/sulphites (if the sulphur dioxide and sulphites are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million) and tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts). (food.gov.uk).

In 2019, we made our first commitment to supporting pupils with food allergies through our partnership with food tech innovators Kafoodle. With access to the Kafoodle online app, pupils could view their daily menu and filter options based on known food allergens or dietary requirements.

Cllr Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families, said:
“Allergens are a rising issue across the country and HES Catering Services wants to go above and beyond in supporting ‘Natasha’s Law’ by using the latest  technology to ensure that pupils with known food allergens are able to safely enjoy their lunches.”

Six years on, we continue to support pupils with allergies by introducing FDA (free from declarable allergen) days to schools across Havering.

Click here to see our 25-26 example menu

On the 25-26 school menus the FDA days will be marked with this sticker

Please contact your child’s school for access to their full menu

Pancake Day takes on the 4th of March

This day is all about indulging in fluffy, delicious pancakes and sharing the joy with family, friends, and the wider community. Whether you prefer them plain, topped with syrup, or loaded with berries, National Pancake Day is the perfect excuse to enjoy this breakfast classic.

For dessert, pupils will have tasty American pancakes served plain or with lemon 🥞🍋

Your child will be able to receive free school meals if they are in reception class, year 1 or year 2 regardless of benefits or household earnings.

For the 2024-2025 school year, children in year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 will also be able to receive free school meals regardless of benefits or household earnings.

Funding for this is provided by the Mayor of London and it covers schools in London boroughs only, including the London Borough of Havering.

All primary age children will receive free school dinners, however, it is still worth notifying us if you meet the criteria below as your child’s school will receive additional funding.

Also, if it is known that your child is eligible, they will continue to receive free school meals after the 2024-2025 school year even if by then your personal circumstances have changed.

Pupils in years 3 to 6 who receive free school meals are still able to apply for Pupil Premium.

There’s never a dull moment at lunchtime at St Peter’s. To celebrate the Chinese New Year the kitchen staff prepared a Chinese-inspired menu for pupils to enjoy and to add more flare to the lunchtime experience, decorated the dinner hall.

Violeta, kitchen staff at St Peters, said “It was a busy day here at St Peters, the kids were very excited… they loved our food, very impressed with our outfits and decorations 😊😊😊”

Have a look at the photos. Wouldn’t you be too?

Happy Chinese New Year!