Yesterday I was on canteen duty. Our school has a traditional canteen run by the P&C, staffed by two paid canteen managers who are assisted each day by 2-3 volunteer parents.
Until the end of first term this year the canteen had been managed by the same person for many years. Her sudden departure left a vacancy which was quickly filled by two school parents with a background in restaurants and catering. And, oh man, what a difference. Despite now employing two canteen managers the canteen has increased its takings.
The reason? Really good food. Good, yummy, kids.don't.know.it's.healthy food. Before the change the most exciting thing on offer was a hamburger. Now food like pies and hamburgers are restricted to one day a week - and even then they are homemade versions made with organic beef. Instead we now have sushi and wraps available every day and each week there is a different lunch special made on the premises by these excellent cooks. There are no chips, lollies or ice creams on the premises.
Yesterday's lunch special was Crazy Chicken and Avocado Salad. It had avo, pasta, chicken, coriander, tomato and loads of other yummy bits held together with dressing that was mixed on the spot. Seriously good food, and at $3.50 is the most expensive item on the menu.
In the past the most popular item was the meat pie. Eaten with a spoon. Last Friday they had a record 81 orders for the lunch special alone.
Our school, while in a 'good area', has a mixed socio-economic base. Many kids come to school without a real breakfast, sport is not high on the agenda for many families and, judging from the contents of lunch orders in the past, nutritional guidance can be low. Whatever your view on the role of schools vs the role of parents, Canteens play a vital role in educating children in what is okay to eat and what is best left for special treats. Our canteen now takes this seriously and I applaud them.
How about you? Does your canteen play a positive role in your school?
13 comments:
I have been a volunteer at our tuckshop for the past few years, under 3 different managers.
Creativity does come in a fair way down the list, although we have to be very mindful of sticking to the "healthy foods" guidelines.
Even further down the list are good volunteers, which is the straw that has broken the camels back on being diverse in our school, I think - always in the end it is what can be prepared and put out by one because you can only rely on one (yourself) being there.
Gee, I wish they'd come at work at our school. I'd buy my lunch every day.
Our school has such a good canteen (my son corrects me if I accidentally call it a tuck shop) that it is the role model for other schools. We don't have creative specials like yours though, but you can get sushi on Wednesdays (must put your order in on Monday or Tuesday, needless to say we've not done that because I can't think in advance like that)
Our school lunches are terrible. Loads of fat and calories. I pack J.T. a lunch of reduced fat peanut butter on whole grain crackers, grape juice and fruit. Mr. Picky wouldn't touch a school lunch if he'd been fasting for weeks.
We have a pretty good canteen with daily specials including wraps and sushi and salad. I'm yet to volunteer though, so I'm not sure of how well its run. Maybe next year when we're in the school proper. :)
Ummm... YES! Only I never use it. I'm so used to packing lunches from home (the boys make their own sandwiches in the morning... which means they're never healthier than vegemite or nutella) and sending tonnes of fruit. Their father relies on the canteen though.
Have you had the pleasure of volunteering with him yet?
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No, haven't been on the same day as him yet! Firegazer volunteered last term and it was a real eye-opener for him. I think he secretly enjoyed it 'though.
I so want my kids to make their own lunches!
Canteen is a treat in this house, Oscar's school doesn't even have one (THANK GOODNESS). So when Felix gets lunch from the canteen it is a special occasion so special occasion food (like a meat pie or a sausage roll or a chicken, lettuce and mayo burger) is allowed.
A friend of mine is overseeing their canteen becoming organic and green. Quite the undertaking and very noble indeed.
Canteen day is Friday in our house.
It is not good.
Not really.
Certainly not compared to yours!
We call it tuckshop and we have sushi and other delicious items. It just takes a little bit of thinking outside the square and these foods can be delivered freshly made and profitably.
wow - I am so impressed .It is very different to my son's primary school though it was starting to improve on less high fat options - the high school is marginally better.
These specials sound delicious but I can imagine as a parent you would get poor quickly using it every day and imagine your cooking being compared to those delights.
Ours is pretty average. And expensive. A wrap and a cookie ends up being over $8.
I wish we had one like yours.
Our school doesn't have a canteen and if it did, I don't think it would be as good as yours.
I'm a bit of a lunchbox nazi and the things that some kids bring to school horrify me. Twisties for lunch, that sort of thing.
I can imagine they'd turn their noses up at something as delicious as avocado salad!!
It would be like in School Dinner where the Mums were handing Maccas through the fence to their kids.
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