National Food Week at S. Anselm's and Results

National Food Week gets off to a flying start at S. Anselm’s.

The pupils at S. Anselm’s have had such an exciting start to their week. All week they have been participating in our version of National School Food Week which aims to promote healthy eating and engage with our pupils about food. Throughout the week at S. Anselm’s we are be giving pupils and staff a better understanding of the reasons for the healthy menu/ingredients/food changes we have made and will be continuing to make. The Nursery, Pre Prep and Prep School have all taken part in taster sessions at break times with different themes running each day.

 On Monday a selection of fruit smoothies and chocolate milkshake were tasted, along with a variety of interesting breads such as sundried tomato, cheesy and olive. The normal rolling menu has been suspended for the weekend in its place are new dishes for the children to try. For lunch all pupils enjoyed pork goulash and rice pudding with strawberry puree. Afterwards they were asked to vote to decide which dishes will go on to the rolling menu. They will do this after each lunch this week. For afternoon tea the pupils were offered a selection of teacakes, home-made scones and tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches. On Tuesday the pupils tasted natural blackcurrant and apple juice and orange and grape juice, along with a variety of seeds and dried fruits including pumpkin seeds, pinenuts, papaya, goji berries and dried blackberries.

Parents have been involved all week with the tastings, overseeing the voting of dishes at lunch, breaktimes and quizzes.

Lunch was chicken korma with naan breads and a variety of Indian relishes and chutneys and chocolate and orange cheesecake for dessert. For afternoon tea the pupils were offered home-made chocolate and apricot cookies, mango, coconut and ginger cookies and cheese and mango chutney sandwiches. After each tasting they have been completing short questionnaire so we get their feedback on what they like and don't like. This will be used to decide on new additions to the school food menu.

As the National School Food Week has progressed at S. Anselm’s the awareness of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind has reached us all. On Wednesday the children tried a selection of chilled crushed ice fruit juices with no colourings or preservatives along with a variety of British Cheeses, including a strong stilton! For lunch all pupils enjoyed Organic Pork and apple burgers with relish, Cajun wedges and fresh vegetables, along with Baked apples and mincemeat with pouring cream. On Thursday the pupils have tasted tropical fruit crushed ice drink, with a selection of yoghurt coated raisins, bananas, ginger and apricots. Each pupils was given a bowl full of these little surprises. For lunch pupils have experienced Cowboy Casserole with haricot vert beans, jacket potato with steamed broccoli and carrots, along with Apple and Sultana Crumble with custard. For afternoon tea the pupils had a real treat with chicken Tikka wraps, malt loaf and a selection of fresh live yogurts with probiotic cultures with strawberry, raspberry, cherry and toffee purees. To finish off the week, Friday breaktime highlighted a warm malted milk drink, strawberry milkshake and a selection of sausages ranging from Pork and chive, Lamb, rosemary and garlic and Beef, horseradish and wild mushroom. This was definitely a popular option for the week. For lunch, the pupils have enjoyed Eskimo pasta with salmon, fresh crusty bread, carrots and cucumber and mangetout sticks, treacle tarte with whipped cream. For the afternoon tea, lime and poppy seed muffins as well as lemon and honey muffins.











As the week has progressed the children have handed in feedback sheets on the individual tastes, so please look out for the NSFW results next week! The questionnaires on food and healthy lifestyles are coming in fast and furious, and finally the pupils have got to see what has actually been in the boxes each breaktime. Next week the poster competitions will be judged and the results and awards will be given out in the Exeat assembly next week. I would like to thank all the parents that have helped throughout the week at breaktimes, lunchtimes and afternoon tea – Mrs Bedford, Mrs Vaughan, Mrs Gerard-Pearse, Mrs Rouse, Mrs Marriot, Mrs Duguid. A special thank you must go to Mrs Stubley and Mrs Speed for helping to organize and run the whole week. Finally, many thanks to Julie Greatrex and her catering staff for their extra commitment to the National School Food Week on top of the normal daily routine in the kitchens. A final thank you to all the pupils at S. Anselm’s, every pupil has taken part brilliantly with super food suggestions along the way. It has been a very enjoyable, busy and informative week of which all the suggestions and feedback from staff and pupils will be taken on board very seriously for future menu choices and new initiatives.











To top this enormous amount of activity the children are participating in food and healthy lifestyle quizzes, a what’s in the box competition every day, poster competitions and PSHE lessons focusing on Healthy Body, Healthy Mind at S Anselm’s.

NATIONAL SCHOOLS FOOD WEEK - RESULTS

These are the results for the National Schools Food Week.  These percentages are the results of the questionnaires that have been handed out to all staff and pupils at morning break, lunchtimes and afternoon tea.  Many thanks to Emily G-P and Lydia F, who have helped with the thankless task of recording the results for each day. 

A FEW QUOTES FROM THE WEEK

“We are keen to produce well rounded individuals and therefore educating them about different foods, tastes and ensuring that pupils make the right food choice is part of the wider education for which we strive.”  Simon Northcott, Headmaster

“It’s really exciting to taste new foods we haven’t tried before.  I didn’t like seeds and berries but I do now.”  Emily G-P

“It’s been really interesting for the whole school to try new and exotic foods from other countries and everything has been really tasty.”  Freddie R-S

“I love chicken tikka wraps.”  Fran B

“I thought the strawberry milkshake was gorgeous.”  Freya H

“Amazing teacakes.”  Jemima W

“I liked the strawberry and apple smoothie a lot and suggest a mango and peach smoothie!”  Charles A

Congratulations to:

Cian B, Millie C and Angus Es for guessing dragon fruit in the “What’s in the box” for Monday.