Dear Parents/Guardians,
The Osprey Learning Trust has been given an exciting opportunity to trial a new product from a well-established and prestigious supplier. I have a good relationship with ‘Dartfresh’ after my years of hotel and restaurant kitchen management. With a butcher, fishmonger, greengrocer, and a huge range of ambient and chilled ingredients from local dairy products to specialised dried mushrooms, they have developed a new product called ‘Educatering’. The premise is exactly in-line with what I have wanted to offer the pupils from day one in my new role as Trust Catering Manager.
The menus are diverse and packed full of fresh ingredients, all the vegetables are prepared for us, the recipes are simple but delicious. Using the finest ingredients, the Southwest has to offer, including Dartmoor beef and the very same sausages found on the breakfast table at Lympstone Manor. I am fully behind the product, and I hope that with some tasting events after school at collection time and some time spent with the children in the coming weeks, to help us develop the menu you and your families will be excited by the prospect too.
As of the 15th of November, it is our intention to run a 2-week trial period to give the full ‘Educatering’ experience. I would like to think that we could share recipe cards with parents and guardians as well, so that if the pupils really do like the food, they can make them at home with you too.
As part of the ‘Educatering’ service you will receive a menu with clearly labelled allergen information, brief menu item description designed to be engaging to the young people. Personally, I am really excited. In the current climate preparing fresh food for hundreds of children every day is a real challenge, with soaring food prices (due to transport and fuel issues) this one stop farm shop has developed a product that will allow us to affordably provide fresh, delicious food every day. Provenance, sustainability, and traceability on all the food will give us all comfort, knowing exactly the food journey every single meal has followed.
Thank you for taking the time to read this introduction to our future plans for fresh sustainable, nutritious school meals. We will stay in contact with you all, regarding tastings and menu development days, and our intentions with catering for the schools within our community.
Yours kindly,
Ross Gilbert
Trust Catering Manager