Havering and Kafoodle offer allergen-free school lunch options

Havering Council’ award winning catering service HES Catering and food tech innovators Kafoodle this week launch England’s first partnership to support students in secondary schools with known food allergens.

The Council’s multi-award winning catering organisation, HES Catering Services developed this innovative partnership to allow secondary school students to independently select lunches in the safe knowledge that their choices match their dietary needs.

All secondary schools supplied by HES Catering Services across Havering will each receive a unique QR code developed by Kafoodle. Students simply scan the code with their mobile phone which opens up an online app, where they can then easily view daily menus and filter options based on known food allergens or dietary requirements.

Students can also view digital menus at home in their own time and with their parents via Kafoodle.

Kafoodle also uses the government’s traffic light labelling system for every meal to support students to make healthy choices when selecting their lunch options.

The menus will be in line with new food safety initiatives that have come into effect after the death of a teenager following an allergic reaction.

Cllr Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Education, Children and families, said:

“The Council’s unique partnership with Kafoodle will make food-allergen information so much more accessible for hundreds of pupils across our London borough.

“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 ensurethat pupils with known food allergens are able to safely enjoy their  lunches.”

Mr Paul Ward, Head Teacher, Redden Court School, said:

“The lunchtime dining experience is an important part of a student’s day. We don’t want any students missing out on peer bonding opportunities if they wrongly believe they can’t make an informed lunch choice in their school.”

Tarryn Gorre, CEO & Co-Founder of Kafoodle, said:

“Here at Kafoodle we have always been passionate about helping people to make safer and more informed food choices, we are therefore very excited to be working with HES Catering Services and Havering Council who share this passion in providing an overall better and safer dining experience to their pupils.”

Notes to Editor

Example case story – Toby aged 13, has an allergy to egg.

Every week before Toby makes his lunch selection in school, he uses his mobile phone to scan his school’s unique Kafoodle QR code. (If Toby had an Android phone he would have needed to download a free QR scanner).

Through Havering Councils  partnership with the West Ham United Foundation, pupils at Corbets Tey Primary School  were surprised on Tuesday 14 May by first team players Adrian and Grady Diangana as part of the clubs Players Project.

Pupils had recently been involved in the Foundations Healthy Hammers six-week programme, which aims to teach children about the importance of nutrition and exercise.

Since October 2018 the programme has been delivered to over half of the boroughs primary and junior schools on behalf of the Council’s Veggie Run campaign, which aims to educate children about healthy living and the rewards of eating a healthy school catered lunch

Veggie Run has helped to reduce lunchbox consumption by over 300,000 meals since launching in April 2018 by HES Catering Services and increased school meal uptake by 14 percent.

Sam Allen, a teacher at Corbets Tey Primary, said:

“The programme has made a big impact at the school, We’ve had six weeks of West Ham United Foundation coaches coming in and getting the children active with physical activity games. The children loved it; they were always counting down to their next session.

“A lot of the children are West Ham United fans so to have two players come in and interact brilliantly with the children was an amazing way to round off this experience. Visits like this provide a boost to everyone and help to motivate the children too. We all loved it”

Veggie Run wins, ‘Best Healthy Eating Initiative’ at the annual Food Matters Live 2018 Awards. The event is a celebration of the latest innovation from across the food, drink and nutrition sectors in England.

Food Matters live attracts global attention with over 550 companies attending the exhibition, and more than 20,000 people visiting the event. Veggie Run faced national competition and was examined by a panel of 24 expert judges from across the food and drink industry, winners were announced on the 21 November, at The ExCel, London.

Cllr Robert Benham, Children’s Services, Learning and Education, said:

“It is great for Havering Councils ‘Veggie Run’ to be recognised by industry leaders from across the UK as being at the forefront of innovation in healthy eating initiatives.

“Through HES Catering Services developing Veggie Run, the in-school healthy catered meal uptake has increased by 15 percent in primary and junior schools, and the app has now partnered with the West Ham United Foundation, Everyone Active, Quorn and sQuid to provide sporty prizes for Havering pupils and schools.”

Veggie Run is the first Council-created app in England designed to educate children aged four – 11 years old about healthy eating and promote the rewards of a healthy school catered lunch. The app has been downloaded more than 20,000 times since being launched in April 2018 by the Councils in-house HES Catering Service. Through digital game play pupils are encouraged to dodge unhealthy foods and have the opportunity to win tangible sporty prizes.

Download Veggie Run for your Child at

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/veggierun/id1339059186?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mct.veggierun&hl=en

10 lucky winners of the London Borough of Havering competition were on hand at the official launch of the partnership between HES Catering Services and West Ham Foundation to deliver healthy living to the children of Havering.

Head of Catering Dennis Brewin along with the lucky children, enjoyed a stadium tour, and met 2 first team players. Dennis Brewin stated “I am very proud to launch this partnership, that will benefit the children and parents of Havering and is a part of our overall strategy to encourage and educate on a healthy lifestyle, and to be working with such an esteemed partner as West ham is a fantastic boost for us and the project”

The project will see West Ham work with schools to deliver their “Healthy Hammers” program to schools which will educate children on a the benefits of exercise, sleep and a nutritious healthy diet, which includes the need to have a healthy school lunch!

Look out for more information on this project soon!

HES Catering Services hosted an afternoon tea to give some well deserved long service awards to members of our team who have worked for 25+years with London Borough of Havering.

The awards were hosted at Langton’s House with the awards issued by Chief Executive Andrew Blake-Herbert and Assistant Director of Education Services Trevor Cook.

Congratulations to all our colleague for reaching this milestone