City’s school meals are healthier

and tastier than ever before

Freshly baked bread, free range eggs and more locally sourced fruit and vegetables are now on the menu at some 60 primary and special schools in Brighton & Hove.

The council has teamed up with Eden Foodservice to offer healthy and tasty menus to schoolchildren. All menus feature food from different parts of the world, achieve Government nutrition targets and contain at least two portions of the recommended five-a-day for fruit and vegetables.

Fresh bread is now baked on site daily at all schools – children have been enjoying freshly baked bread including garlic bread, tomato bread, and twin bread. Over the last two weeks we have made approximately 2000 loaves of fresh bread

Only UK Red Tractor farm assured meat and free range eggs are used – this year we have seen the use of free range eggs increase by 75% as sponges are now made from scratch on site

Fresh fruit and vegetables are now being delivered twice a week by local company Tastables. In the longer term this should ensure that we have improved access to more seasonal, locally procured items when suitable, available and affordable

All fish is from sustainable sources and Eden are working towards Marine Stewardship Council accreditation

Separate menus are available for children who have special dietary needs.

All the dishes on the menus are tried and tested by school pupils to make sure they like them. Parents are also going to be encouraged to try them for themselves through a programme of taster sessions in schools that are planned to take place over the coming months.

The council’s cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Sue Shanks said: ““We want to encourage our children to have school lunches so that they have at least one good meal a day, because all the research shows that this improves classroom learning and behaviour.

“Were committed to making Brighton & Hove the UK’s greenest city. This menu, using locally sourced food wherever possible and fish from sustainable sources, is also the healthiest, tastiest and most environmentally friendly menu we’ve ever offered.”

Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/schoolmeals for full details. If you think you could be eligible for free school meals apply online at  www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/onlinefreeschoolmeals