Asparagus Gets an A at Lunchtime

Harrison Catering Services Celebrates Great British Produce in London Schools

Recently over 39,000 pupils at 250 schools across the London Boroughs of Bexley, Ealing, Lambeth, Croydon and Wandsworth tucked into a meal featuring the finest produce Britain has to offer.

Harrison Catering Services, which provides the school meals to primary and special schools in the boroughs, declared Wednesday, 19th June, Great British Produce Day with a menu that included asparagus, Jersey Royal new potatoes and strawberries all sourced from southern England and Jersey with the help of fruit and vegetable supplier Sheringhams Fine Foods Ltd.

‘We feature seasonal fruit and vegetables on our menus every week, but we wanted to build on that by offering pupils a chance to sample foods like asparagus which they may not be familiar with and may not get the opportunity to try at home,’ said Nicola Turk, Harrison’s Director for Group Schools.’

She added:

‘Asparagus just doesn’t make it onto the school dinner plate because of its cost, but thanks to our partnership with Sheringhams, we were able to give the pupils at our London borough schools something really different.’

Michelle Bennett, Headteacher at Fenstanton Primary School, said: ‘Our children have extended their palates by trying new foods from around the world carefully prepared on site by Harrison Catering Services. Gone are the days when school meals were something to be avoided. Here at Fenstanton, our children look forward to their meals and can be heard discussing their food choices with enthusiasm. As such we have had many children swap their packed lunches for a cooked school meal!’

She continued:

‘Harrison understand children’s approaches to food and constantly review their menus to reflect the children’s likes, whilst at the same time introducing them to new foods such as asparagus. All in all an outstanding service delivered by a friendly and flexible team.’

Encouraging children to make healthier food choices is a key part of Harrison’s approach. All Harrison staff receive training in how to prepare and serve healthier food through the company’s bespoke Eat Well Live Well training programme, and Harrison offers workshops for pupils on how to make salads, pasta, pizza and even bread, helping to make the connection between raw ingredients and the meals they enjoy at lunchtime.

Events like Great British Produce Day also work alongside the company’s monthly ingredient promotions, which give children the opportunity to try different foods that range from British staples like parsnips and beetroot to more exotic ingredients like kohlrabi and majesty blue potatoes.

The featured produce on the day’s menu was sourced by Sheringhams from the following:

• Asparagus grown by Barfoots, with farms across the south coast of England
• Jersey Royal new potatoes grown by The Jersey Royal Company in St Saviour, Jersey
• Strawberries grown by Hugh Lowe Farms in Mereworth, Kent