School catering

School meals are constantly changing and Havering Catering Services (HCS), the provider of meals at your child's school has certainly got a lot to be proud of. We hope that your child will be joining us for lunch and that they will benefit from the experience of eating with others, developing a taste for different foods, and gaining confidence to make the right food choices.

NVQ Success

Over the past 18 months, more and more children have been enjoying Havering's delicious, healthy school lunches. Focusing on freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced meals the Council's Healthy Options menu has been a fantastic success and enjoys a take up of 43%in local schools. This success is in no small part due to the borough's hard working school cooks, some of whom attended the NVQ Award Evening at the Town Hall on 25 March.

Some of the ladies received their NVQ qualifications in Professional Cookery, Professional Food Preparation and Processing from the Mayor of Havering Councillor Georgina Galpin, she said: "I would like to say well done to all of those who got their qualifications, the school cooks job is not just about cooking, it is about planning a healthy balanced diet for our young people."

Working in partnership with Qube Ltd and HIT training, the council will continue its commitment to providing training and currently has over 40 staff studying for NVQs at catering colleges.

Havering's Catering Operations Manager, Kevin Hobart said: "As a service we are proud of all of our kitchen teams and are thrilled at this recognition of the hard work and commitment shown on a daily basis to providing healthy meals to the pupils and teaching staff of Havering."

Feeding the Future Meals at your child's school

Over the past three years meals have changed to improve the quality and variety available. HCS constantly strive to source and provide the highest quality of ingredients available; this is to assure you that your child is getting the absolute best value for money when they have a school lunch.

We offer a 2 course lunch every day for only £1.85

Investing in good quality food and a balanced diet is an investment in your child's future. At HCS we have introduced a wide range of new and exciting dishes to tempt your child's taste buds, whilst retaining a lot of their favourite meals. Much loved meals such as sausages and burgers are still offered using high quality meats from reputable sources. HCS work closely with the School Food Trust (SFT) and the Food for Life Partnership to provide good quality food that meets the SFT guidelines and regulations. More information for Schools, Parents and Governors can be found on the SFT web site. www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk

Just eat more (fruit and veg.)

Our meals contain even more fruit and vegetables for your child to enjoy and to contribute towards their 5 portions-a-day which is recommended for all children. By having a school meal your child will receive all the energy and nutrients to see them through the school day.

We want the children of Havering to be healthy and happy. Children need to eat a balanced diet including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats and minerals every day. At HCS we ensure that the meals we provide for your child are well balanced and nutritious.

Together we can make sure that your child's daily diet is healthy and balanced, improving their well being and development.

Tell us what you think

We are always seeking to improve the service that we provide, any comments and suggestions that you have about our service will always be gratefully received.

Please write to:

Kevin Hobart - Catering Operations Manager at:

Or email schoolcatering@havering.gov.uk

Would you like to join our team?

HCS employ over 300 local staff to work across the borough in school kitchens, at hours to suit the school day. If you would like to be part of a successful catering organisation with hours that fit around your family life, working from 1 to 4 hours per day, term time only, then why not give us a call on 01708-433127 for further details and an application form.