What does it mean to be awarded the Silver Catering Mark Award from the Soil Association?
I started the nursery as a single mum, and as a parent you want to know your child has eaten well throughout the day. From the beginning we started the practice of a five-week rotating set menu so the children would get a wide variety of flavours and nutrition. This includes meals like sausage pasta, Moroccan chicken and moussaka, all cooked from scratch with quality ingredients. We also eat a lot of vegetarian meals and provide vegetarian and allergy-free meals to match the meat meals.
What does it take to get the award?
We barely use any processed food. The children will have chicken nuggets and burgers, but they are homemade from quality ingredients on the premises. We always have free-range eggs and, where we can, organic and seasonal fruit and veg. It’s also about checking labels to make sure snacks do not have excessive sugar or salt in them, and checking the provenance of food. Emily, our chef, has two boys with allergies so has every level of understanding also.
Why are you so passionate about the food in your nursery?
It’s how I cook for my own children. When my daughter was at nursery she was very well taken care of but I felt that the meals she received weren’t always conducive to her cognitive and physical development. To me, showing that we care about the quality of the food is proof that we truly care about the children and their overall development. It’s also an important socialising time and, because we are a small setting of 30 children, we make sure the children eat in mixed age groups, with the older ones serving the food. It’s a massive part of their overall well-being.
