Nursery World - Positive Relationships: Mealtimes

One nursery group has made its food provision into a grand social occasion, as Annette Rawstrone hears.

The staff at Treetops Nurseries are so proud of the food they serve to the children that they invited parents to join them for dinner.

Isabel Garvey, director of childcare, explains, 'All the nurseries cook the food on the premises from fresh ingredients. The nurseries use local ingredients and purchase them from butchers and greengrocers wherever possible. We thought it was something that we should be shouting about and that it would be lovely to invite the parents in to sample the food and experience dinnertime at their child's nursery.

'We call it our five-star dining experience. The nurseries put fresh flowers on the tables and coloured tablecloths. The food is decanted into large dishes so the children can self-serve. Mealtimes are a big social occasion for the children. They help encourage manners and good behaviour and prepare them for moving on to school.'

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