HES Catering Services and Kafoodle offer allergen-free school lunch options

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).