Experts vote council's school dinners in first

THE Education Catering service with its BOOM award for school dinners

OLDHAM'S school dinners team have been presented with a prestigious award for dishing up high quality meals.

Oldham Council's Education Catering service was among more than 500 organisations that entered the BOOM (Best of Organic Market) Awards, which was organised by the Soil Association.

The council's team picked up first place in the new Corporate and Public Sector Catering category.

The BOOM Awards recognise organisations which promote organic food and living.

Judged by an independent panel of well-known experts, including chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and specialists, celebrity foodies and consumer judges, the winners showcase the very best of the UK's organic food and drink industry.

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The council's nomination was supported by Jeanette Orrey MBE, the co-founder of Food for Life and Professor Kevin Morgan of Cardiff University.

Three years ago the team was the first in the North West to attain a 'Gold Food for Life Catering Mark' - a standard that has been maintained ever since thanks to the quality meals being served up every day.

The council says that every meal served in 87 primary and special schools by the catering team meets the gold standard and are examples of best practice. They are healthy, ethically prepared and contain lots of locally sourced ingredients and products which can be traced.

All the menus are freshly prepared daily on site by the catering teams using a range of organic products, high animal welfare produce and free range ingredients.

Another award could also soon be in the offing as the department has been nominated in the business category at the Armed Forces in the Public Sector Awards for its support and employment of ex-service personnel.

Cllr Amanda Chadderton, Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years, said: "I'd like to thank and congratulate the Education Catering Team for all their hard work and we're delighted that they have won another prestigious award.

"Every day our staff prepare around 16,500 healthy, nutritious and tasty meals for pupils across the borough to tuck into and this award shows they are doing it the right way.

"Parents, children and residents are more interested than ever before about the source and quality of the food they eat.

"This BOOM Award provides them with a guarantee that our meals and the products used to make them are traceable, fresh, seasonal and high on animal welfare.

"They also demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that school children are receiving the best quality food as part of a healthy balanced diet."

Last year the team successfully secured the catering business for the new Hollinwood Academy Special School. This business will further expand at the start of the new term with a larger intake planned for September 2016.

The team has since repeated its success with a 'winning bid' securing the business for the new kitchen at Northmoor Academy, from September 2016.

The service has also been approached by the Soil Association to work with them and the Carbon Trust developing the 'sustainable catering standard of the future' pilot.