A new league table ranking children’s food and drink at the UK’s top visitor attractions has revealed children’s menus are typically more unhealthy than adult versions.

The Soil Association’s Out to Lunch campaign uncovered unhealthy pre-packed lunchboxes, dodgy ingredients, and a lack of vegetables in the UK’s most popular museums, art galleries, zoos, visitor centres, and theme parks.

Key findings include:

  • Attractions are using promotional deals to push unhealthy junk food on families#
  • Attractions are not being honest with parents about where children’s food comes from
  • British attractions are failing to support British farmers
  • Attractions are serving over-sized children’s puddings loaded with sugar
  • There is no correlation between meal price and league table position

The full table can be viewed online https://www.soilassociation.org/outtolunch/

Upskilling hospitality teams

HIT Training has launched a wide range of closed short courses, workshops and bespoke training programmes for hospitality businesses to strengthen the skills of their staff and further enhance their service offer.

Ideal for national or multi-site hospitality operators looking to maximise their apprenticeship programmes, the closed format enables employers to exclusively offer training to a select group of their own employees and tailor the programmes in line with their unique business needs.

Visit hittraining.co.uk/courses for more details

Apprentice star Nick’s new role

Countdown host and former advisor to Alan Sugar on the Apprentice Nick Hewer has been announced as a new patron of the Fairtrade Foundation.

He said: “Like many people my first experience of Fairtrade was as a consumer. Picking up my bananas and coffee with that iconic mark on. Buying a Fairtrade product gives you only half the story, it’s only when you meet the farmers, and talk to them about their experiences that you fully appreciate the importance of what Fairtrade does.”

Baking Graduates have all the right ingredients

The bakers of the future have been celebrated at a ceremony to mark their graduation from the Advanced Diploma in Artisan Baking at The School of Artisan Food.

Among those graduating from the six- month diploma, which is designed to equip students with both the practical and business skills needed to launch a stellar career in artisan baking, was the school’s first ever refugee student.

Ghidey Berhane came to the UK via ‘family reunion’ from her home country of Eritrea and faced several issues following the death of husband shortly after she arrived. With the support of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum, Ghidey was able to take up a fully funded place on the diploma.

Open days at the school are scheduled for January 26, February 23 and March 22, with students able to start the six-month course in either April or Oct 2019.

For more information, visit www.school ofartisanfood.org/product/open-day

Jubilee Challenge

Talented student chefs from across the UK and Ireland will be battling it out in the live regional heats of the 25th anniversary Country Range Student Chef Challenge from later this month.

The first round of heats will be held at various catering college locations from January 28-February 8 with teams of three students working together to create a three-course, four-cover menu.

This prestigious competition culminates in a live grand final will be held at ScotHot in Glasgow on March 13.

To keep up with all the latest news and find out which teams have made it through to the next stage visit: www.countryrangestudentchef.co.uk