Primary school pupils across Bridgend County Borough are learning how to cook one of the recipes which will be introduced with the new school menu in the autumn – and taste-testing it with their classmates.
A collaboration between the catering team at Bridgend County Borough Council, Bridgend Sustainable Food Partnership and The Cookalong Clwb is visiting eleven schools this month, giving pupils a practical lesson in cooking, and gathering their feedback as they share what they’ve cooked with other pupils.
As well as learning about cooking a healthy meal from scratch – pasta and a seven-vegetable tomato sauce – the pupils are also learning about the importance of Welsh-grown vegetables being used in school kitchens.
The Welsh Veg in Schools programme is a partnership between schools and Welsh growers, working to align what is served by schools with what we’re growing in Wales. The pupils in Bridgend had the opportunity to try Welsh purple sprouting broccoli which will be introduced, alongside organic Welsh carrots, from September.
The new school menu has been developed in line with Welsh Government’s latest Healthy Eating in Schools regulations. This will see at least two portions of vegetables and one portion of fruit provided every day and restrictions on unhealthy options such as fried food and pastries.
Councillor Martyn Jones, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, visited one of the sessions this week at Betws Primary School. He said:
“We’re transforming the menu in our schools next term to make sure every child can enjoy a nutritious, healthy meal, every day. This supports their health and development, fuels their learning and sets them up with healthy eating habits for the future.
“I’ve had a fantastic morning here with the class in Betws who have made a delicious vegetable pasta dish. It’s great to see the children engaging with the new menu, trying new things and learning some valuable cooking skills.
“This is a great example of collaboration between our Council catering team, the Bridgend Sustainable Food Partnership, the Cookalong Clwb and our primary schools, to ensure the children are involved in the menu transformation – and importantly, have the opportunity to tell us what they think about the meals,” he said.
Senior teacher at Betws Primary School, Lynsey Lewis said:
“The class has had a brilliant time learning how to cook the new recipe. We’ve had some great responses to what they’ve cooked and lots of the pupils have tried vegetables today which they’ve never had or thought they didn’t like. It’s been a fantastic practical lesson, and they’re learned a lot about where our food comes from and the veg that we’re growing in Wales specially for our school kitchens.”
