Pupil Taster Session for our new Spring/Summer 2023 menu items
Posted December 13, 2022
Juniper’s Development Chef, Kerry Powell, with pupils at Hartley Primary after their Pupil Taster Session
Over recent weeks our catering team have been working really hard to develop our spring/summer School menu for 2023 which will be introduced after the Easter holidays. We aim to ensure that any new dishes we include in the menu will be well received by the pupils and therefore we believe it is important to ask our most important clients – the children, what they think!
We do this through our Development Chef’s Rachel and Kerry delivering Pupil Taster Sessions in a selection of schools, in order to receive first hand their feedback on the new dishes we are considering including in the menu.
Pupils and members of staff at St James Church of England Junior School enjoying their Pupil Taster Session
Over the last two weeks Rachel and Kerry have visited a number of schools including, St James Church of England Junior School, Rokeby Secondary School, Hartley Primary School, William Davies Primary School and Thamesviews Infants, trialing the exciting new dishes such as pasta parcels with tomato sauce, Thai rice bowl, carrot and apple cake, veggie meatballs and sticky mandarin sponge.
As you can see below, so far the new dishes trialled have received very positive feedback from the pupils involved:
“The rice bowl is really yummy.”
“I really enjoyed the cake as the flavours made the cakes delicious.
I also think that the carrot and apple made the cake better.”
“I loved the mandarin sponge as the sweetness of the cake made
it more enjoyable. I think it should finally be added on the menu
with custard.”
“The meatballs have a couple of flavours and I like that.”
Not only has the food from these sessions received positive feedback but the nature of the Pupil Taster Sessions themselves has also received positive feedback. Sally Norris, the Head Teacher at William Davies Primary School commented that “the children really enjoyed their tasting session” and she “hopes it makes our school meal choices more adventurous.”
Sally Norris (bottom right) joining her pupils in their Pupil Taster Session at William Davies Primary School