According to the Vegetarian Society, a food industry poll of 1,000 students (aged 8 to 16) found that 70% wanted to see more vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. As education caterers battle to create varied and nutritious meat-free dishes on a budget, one organisation is picking up the mantle to provide assistance.
The Vegetarian Society Cookery School runs a plant-based training programme for school caterers. As part of the course, the team helps caterers by providing a full year’s (three terms) worth of recipe packs, all fully costed to meet the limitations of school budgets.
Sam Linford-Platt, head of The Vegetarian Society Cookery School, says, “The number of vegetarian and vegan people of all ages is growing, but so is the number of people reducing the amount of meat in their diets. Children, young people and their parents are more aware than ever of the impacts of eating meat on the planet, animals, and their own health. The result is increased demand to see more and better options on menus everywhere.”
At St John’s School, a primary school for boys in Northwood, London, the catering team recently completed the course. The school wanted to provide students with a broader range of menu choices and diverse culinary experiences. Cara Demetriades, Bursar at St John’s School, says, “Our aim was to modernise the menu to meet the evolving needs of our school community and to encourage more pupils to choose vegetarian or vegan options. We recognised the importance of introducing more plant-based options for all pupils.”
The one-day training, carried out by Maz Linford-Platt, catering specialist and Nikita Gordon, chef manager from the Vegetarian Society Cookery School, presented detailed step by step guidance for several recipes including Corn and Bean Fritters, Apple and Cauliflower Curry, Veggie Goulash and Moroccan Chickpea Tagine.
All nine members of the catering team took part including individuals responsible for dishwashing and serving. Jean Foely, catering manager, says, “This provided them with an opportunity to engage in food preparation and cooking. During the training, we all collaborated, with each group assigned a portion of the recipe to prepare. Finally, we joined forces to assemble the complete dish. A tasting session concluded the process.”
As a result of the training, several vegetarian and vegan dishes have been introduced into the school’s menu cycle and the students are being encouraged to try the new options. “The training not only gave us valuable recipes, but also instilled confidence in our team when preparing vegetarian and vegan meals,” says Jean. “Additionally, the training played a pivotal role in fostering a stronger sense of unity within our team. A standout aspect of the training was the trainers’ skill in involving every staff member, including those who were initially resistant to vegetarian and vegan options.”
The Vegetarian Society Cookery School tailors the training according to each school’s needs. For example, Sam says some groups want to focus on building protein rich dishes, while others want to learn how to build flavour in plant-based dishes. Sessions are usually one day but can be extended to two or three.
For more information visit https://vegsoc.org/cookery-school/
