Ingredients

For the buns:

• 3 cups (375g) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (80g) sultanas or raisins

For the crosses:

• 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water

For the glaze:

• 2 tbsp apricot jam

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the self-raising flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, and sugar.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture. Add milk, beaten egg, and oil. Stir until just combined. Fold in the sultanas or raisins.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide into 12 even pieces and shape into balls. Place them close together on the prepared tray.
5. Mix plain flour with water to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a piping bag (or a zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off) and pipe crosses onto the buns.
6. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
7. Heat the apricot jam in the microwave or a small saucepan until smooth. Brush the hot buns with the glaze for a shiny finish.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Christmas day is just two days away! If you need some ideas about what to add to your festive plate, try out this British favourite – Yorkshire puddings! These golden, fluffy treats are a staple in Christmas dinners and they’re surprisingly easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 140g plain flour
• 4 large eggs
• 200ml milk
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for the tin)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F and place a muffin tin or Yorkshire pudding tin in the oven to heat
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, eggs, milk and salt until smooth. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes if you have time. This helps make the puddings extra fluffy!
3. Once the oven is hot, add a small amount of vegetable oil to each muffin tin hole (about 1 tsp) and heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the oil is very hot
4. Carefully pour the batter into the hot tin, filling each hole about halfway
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the Yorkshire puddings have puffed up and turned golden brown
6. Serve immediately with your Christmas meal!

From all of us at HES Catering, we wish you a very Merry Christmas filled with tasty treats and holiday cheer! 🎄🎉

Follow us for information on free school meals, stories from the kitchen and more!

Delish by HES (@hescatering.org.uk) — Bluesky

With ParentPay coming soon, paying online for school dinners, trips, and clubs will become easier, quicker, and safer. Please follow our Twitter and visit our website as we will keep you updated when it goes live.

Whether your pupils prefer the simplicity of a plain pancake or want to go the extra mile with fresh fruit, yogurt, or even cheese and crackers, we’ve got the perfect treat for every palate.

If your school is participating in Pancake Day, please note that you would have already been sent the menu poster, allergen datasheet and carb chart via email.

Pancake Day Poster

We are delighted to share that HES Catering Services has received the Food for Life Bronze Award. This award by Soil Association Scotland shows our commitment to providing ethically sourced and high quality meals.

To receive a Bronze catering mark, our catering team has met the following guidelines:

• At least 75% of dishes on the menu are freshly prepared (on site or at a local hub kitchen) from unprocessed ingredients.
• All meat is from farms which satisfy UK animal welfare standards.
• No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fi sh to avoid’ list.
• Eggs are from free range hens.
• No undesirable additives or artificial trans fats are used.
• No genetically modified ingredients are used.
• Free drinking water is prominently available.
• Menus are seasonal and in-season produce is highlighted.
• Information is on display about food provenance.
• Menus provide for all dietary and cultural needs.
• All suppliers have been verified to ensure they apply appropriate food safety standards.
• Catering staff are supported with skills training in fresh food preparation and the Catering Mark.

A well done to every member of the team that made it possible to achieve the Food for Life Bronze Award

To mark National School Meals Week this year, we want to showcase our commitment to sustainability, aligning with this year’s central theme of ‘Eat more, waste less.’

We’ve introduced daily theme days to our secondary school menus, including ‘Eco-Mondays’.  On Mondays, we proudly serve dishes that combines both meat and plant-based elements, reducing the meat portion by 50% and incorporating Quorn as a supplement. This initiative is leaving a positive footprint on our planet, resulting in reduced carbon emissions, minimized water usage, and a significant contribution to the preservation of our forests – a holistic, eco-friendly approach that benefits us all.

If you’re staff in one of our Havering school kitchens, we’re keen to see how you’re engaging with this initiative this week. Please share your photos with us at haveringcatering@havering.gov.uk

New Website FAQs 

Haveringcatering.co.uk, as you know it, is changing! As our catering service continues to grow and expand… well, so must our website! 

HES Catering (haveringcatering.co.uk) is getting a makeover and the new look website will be launching Thursday 2nd November at 3pm. We’re excited about our fresh online presence and we hope you are too! 

Please feel free to browse the new website and enjoy. We know that you may still have questions so we have pulled together some common questions that may arise when looking for specific information.    

What’s new? 

Haveringcatering.co.uk will continue to showcase HES Catering’s offer and important information for schools and parents including payment, Free School Meals and, of course, our menus.  

The new website features a clean, well thought-out design, with a new and improved navigation menu to make your browsing experience efficient and smooth. We’ve cleaned up our top-level menu for a tidier look and added drop-downs to help you access relevant pages more easily.  

Why the change? 

HES Catering is always looking at opportunities to improve our customers’ experience, both in schools and online. We decided the website needed a makeover and improved functions so that schools, parents and potential clients can find what they need.  

You may notice a change in the website style and more use of the colours in our logo. The vibrant green, yellow and orange colours reflect the transition into a more mature stage of life, mirroring the journey of students as they progress from primary to secondary education, much like a bell pepper ripening from one stage to another.  

Where are the all-important primary and secondary school menus? 

In the top right corner of each page, you’ll find the vibrant green ‘Primary’ and cheerful yellow ‘Secondary’ buttons. Click to access the relevant stage and click ‘Our Menus’. This will lead you straight to the menu page you should already be familiar with.  

Where did news, blog posts and updates go?  

Once the new website is live, you’ll notice that all of our ‘Healthy Living’ posts have been integrated into our ‘Blogs’ page.  This page is your one-stop shop for all of our blog posts, updates, news and case studies. 

What else is changing? 

The change to the website is one of many changes to come in the upcoming months. These changes will not affect our meals or service. The changes will merely affect our brand style, which will remain consistent from primary to secondary and across all of our materials so we will be instantly recognisable.    

What if I need help or want to pass on feedback/suggestions? 

As always, we would love to hear your feedback, suggestions and assist you with any queries.  

Contact us by email, schoolcatering@havering.gov.uk, or call 01708 433 117. We are available Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4pm.