NEW LOOK DELI BAR, LUNCH TIME MENU AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD PROCUREMENT POLICY LAUNCHED AT SCHOOL
A £115,000 investment in the catering facility at the Senior School sees a new deli bar open this term, alongside a new lunchtime menu and an enhanced sustainable food procurement and waste policy at KES.
During the summer holiday a new deli bar was installed in the lower level of the Willett Dining Hall incorporating a heated servery, soup station and chilled food area. The new facility complements the main servery and replaces the previous packed lunch offer at the Senior School.
With the new deli in place, an exciting new lunchtime menu has been launched to accompany the main servery’s daily offer of two hot dishes plus a vegetarian option. Pupils can choose from a range of sandwiches, rolls and wraps, with fillings such as chicken, mango and rocket or smoked cheese and apple with plum sauce. The new sandwich selection also includes classic fillings such as ham or cheese. The new deli space also offers a jacket potato and salad bar, as well as chilled dessert area which includes fresh fruit, natural organic yoghurt, with a range of toppings (frozen berries, fresh fruit and seasonal toppings etc), and freshly baked favourites such as flapjacks, shortbread and cookies.
Underpinning the new look menu is the introduction of a schoolwide food procurement policy that forms part of a wider sustainability commitment by KES. From September, procurement will be based on a set of principles, some of which were already in place, that are mindful of waste, food miles and origin, amongst others. For example:
- All dairy (milk, butter and yoghurt etc) will be organic and sourced from producers such as Ivy House Farm and Brown Cow Organics, within a 20-mile radius of KES. We will also look to introduce regional cheeses from the likes of Wyke Farms in Bruton.
- All meat will be Red Tractor certified (as a minimum) and sourced from local producers.
- All eggs will be free-range and procured from local producers, including family-run Southview Farm in Box, co-owned by OE, Anthony Ashby.
- Fish will be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council to ensure sustainability. Where menus use farmed fish or seafood, this will be certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
- Wherever possible vegetables and fruit will be sourced from local producers and be seasonal, where possible eg summer berries will be purchased from local suppliers, whilst root vegetables will feature on our winter menus.
- All tea will be Ethical Tea Partnership certified and all coffee Fairtrade certified.
- Where palm oil is included in bought in items, the ingredient must be from a certified sustainable source.
Addressing food waste, and working with our partner, MJ Church, the School will ensure that, where possible, all food waste is separated from other waste and composted. King Edward’s is also committed to drastically reducing its food packaging and single use plastic. From September, we will no longer use pre-packaged food in our serveries, including the new deli bar, and all single use plastic items, eg takeaway knives and forks or individual yoghurt pots, will be replaced by a sustainable alternative, for example yoghurt will now be a fresh singular option, with varied toppings, served in a reusable bowl. This change alone will see the instant removal of approximately 300 plastic yoghurt pots a week in the Senior School.
Elsewhere, new equipment in the kitchen, such as a new 20-rack combi oven, is helping to reduce energy consumption. A future ambition is to remove all use of gas in cooking and move to a sustainable electric source.
The new food procurement policy forms part of a wider School Sustainability Strategy, which has seen pupils taking a leading role and working closely with members of the Senior Management and Estates and Facilities teams, as the School seeks to establish an ambitious and all-encompassing plan for the future. The KES Sustainability Strategy will be shared with the wider KES community later this term, and at its core is the commitment to be the ‘Greenest School in Bath’.
In the meantime, two exciting steps forward under our Energy and Transport commitments are in place as we start the term. From September, the solar panels installed on the Sports Hall over the summer will generate approximately 30% of the electricity required on the North Road campus, whilst all Estates and Facilities road vehicles used by the North Road site are being replaced with Electric alternatives.
Joe Johnson, a Year 13 pupil and member of the KES Sustainability Committee, said: "On behalf of the KES Sustainability Committee, I can say that these significant, tangible changes make us feel very hopeful and privileged to be at a school where pupil voice is taken seriously. This is only the beginning: the KES Green Evolution has begun!"
Martin Boden, Headmaster, said: “For many years, KES pupils and staff have added strong voices to initiatives such as the Environmental Action Group and the B&NES Youth Climate Summit. I am delighted that they are again helping to lead on ambitious projects that will help both the School and current and future generations of pupils to reflect on and tackle the climate challenges that we are facing.”
“Our pupils have set us the target of being the Greenest School in Bath and I am delighted to be working with them and my colleagues in meeting this goal. The School’s new food procurement and waste strategy, as well as the significant investment we have made in solar energy and electric vehicles marks just the start of our ambitious plans.” Tom Davies, Bursar.
