Food
Healthy food is an essential part of your child’s development and we take nutrition very seriously.
We believe mealtimes are a valuable opportunity for everyone at the nursery to get together
as a community, so we all sit down together to create a fun, social experience.
Water is always available for the children on a table in the nursery and we encourage and remind
them to drink it regularly. We keep a close eye on your child throughout the day but if they say
they are hungry, we get them something to eat. If they are a little grumpy or lethargic,
often a snack is all they need to pick them up.
All of our food prep and cooking is done in the catering kitchen in the pre-school nursery.
Our meals are made from scratch, using fresh ingredients and we do not serve processed foods
like packaged chicken nuggets or oven chips.
Our menus are designed to offer a healthy diet and a balance of carbohydrates, proteins,
fats, fibre and minerals specifically to meet the needs of young children.
The dishes aim to introduce new tastes to your child while recognising that most young children
prefer food that is not overly spicy or seasoned. All dishes have no salt added and avoid large
quantities of saturated fat, sugar and artificial colourings. We do not use stock cubes.
We will work with you to accommodate any particular dietary practices your child may have
but it may not always be possible - please raise any issues around food early in the enrolment process.
We also offer a weaning menu for our smaller babies, which is discussed with you and
tailored to your child. Where possible it will be blended and served by
your baby’s keyworker.
Our routine
Breakfast
If your child arrives at nursery before 9am, we can supply cereals,
toast and jam or porridge.
Snacks
We offer a mid-morning (10am) and a mid-afternoon (2.30pm) snack for your child.
This is often fruit or vegetable based – perhaps with bread sticks or rice cakes.
Lunch
Your child will have a hot meal at midday. The menu rotates on a three week basis
and changes through the year to reflect both what produce is in season and the different
types of ‘fuel’ the children need during hot or cold weather.
Tea
Tea is served at 4pm and is generally bread based – perhaps crumpets,
sandwiches or pizza, with vegetable batons or salad – enough to keep them going
till they are home.