Special Diets

We have robust systems for the management of allergens, with a dedicated team to develop special dietary requirement menus to include all pupils in our meal offer. We also cater for cultural dietary requirements.

 

Allergens



Special diets are an extremely important part of our school meals catering. We work in partnership with each school to ensure the special diet process is effective, giving you reassurance that pupils with medically diagnosed allergies or intolerances can eat safely with us.


All our kitchens operate as a nut free environment.

			

				Current Menu Allergen Information
			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				
How it Works


Our Food Development Officers ensure that special dietary requirements are processed through our system and are provided with a menu that meets their needs.


    

  • Parents are required to fill in a Special Diet Request form.
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  • We need medical information either from a Doctor, the hospital or a NHS dietician, to ensure we have all the information to provide a suitable menu.
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  • We can then write up a special menu for an individual pupil.
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  • Our menus are sent to parents for them to highlight which items the child will eat if more than one option is suitable in a day.
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  • Parents need to keep us updated about the dietary information.
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  • We need 3 weeks’ notice to make changes to the menu.
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  • And will continue to provide the special menu unless advised otherwise.
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Our staff are fully trained to ensure that they know and understand the importance of checking food supplies and correct methods of production, ensuring the safety of every pupil. Food labels are systematically checked and the food for the special diet is prepared separately, using separate utensils.

			

				Special Diet request Form
			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
				
				

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				
Online Ordering


There is a food sensitivity lock so that children cannot opt for food which contains an allergen. Nutritional content of the food can be detailed for children on controlled diets. The pupil can identify themselves at the servery touch screen.

			

				
				
				
				
				
Pre Order System


In some schools there is a pre-order system where children can book their meals in the morning and be handed a colour coded wrist band to identify their meal choice which they will give to their Catering Team at lunchtime. Allergen and dietary information along with an identifying image of the child is provided for kitchen staff at the servery as additional protection in both systems.


 

			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
				
				

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				

					

					

						
Diabetics

						
We can provide a special menu for diabetic children and this will also be sent to the nutritionist for verification.

					

				

			

			

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				

					

					

						
Cultural Diets

						
Our system caters for halal, vegan, vegetarian or Pescatarian diets. We have our own Halal production kitchen to freshly prepare and freeze meals, for delivery to our schools.