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School menus

The menus below are PDF files - please see how to access PDF files:

Primary School menus

• Primary School menus, Spring/Summer 2013 (PDF 425.5kB)

Menus for individual schools/academies

• Beacon Hill Academy menu,s Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 (PDF 599kB)
• Bulphan Primary School menus, Spring/Summer 2013 (PDF 505kB)
• Stifford Clays Primary School menus, Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 (PDF 621.1kB)

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About the catering service

Thurrock Catering Services is the in-house provider for Thurrock Council. We provide the highest standards of food quality and service so parents can be assured that:

• All menus comply with, and usually exceed, the Government's National Nutritional Standards for school lunches.
• Our menus are now colour coded to allow schools to adopt our "Pupils Choice" system to guarantee each child their preferred menu choice every time, with over 25% of schools now using this system.
• Our food purchasing contracts control the sourcing of safe ingredients and ensure the necessary delivery and storage methods to maintain the highest levels of food safety.
• We regard your child as a valued customer and serve all children in a friendly and supportive manner, helping them to expand their eating experience with care.
• We do not knowingly use foods containing genetically modified ingredients and we avoid using artificial additives and colourings wherever possible.
• We work closely with The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the School Food Trust & the Food for Life Partnership to develop flag ship schools in the borough, and work towards the Soil Association food sourcing targets.
• We were awarded the Bronze Food for Life standard across all schools in 2010.

Children use up a great deal of energy during a full school day. They need to concentrate during lessons, let off steam at play times and recharge their batteries for the afternoon. Eating a school meal helps to achieve this and provides the following:

• Hot, healthy and nutritionally-balanced menus.
• A selection of homemade products and recognised meals that provide choice and variety to suit all tastes.
• A two course school meal represents outstanding value for money when compared with other options available at lunchtime.
• Convenience - saving you time preparing packed lunches.
• Enhanced learning abilities - studies have shown that children concentrate better in lessons if they have had a fulfilling lunchtime meal.
• Teaches children the social skills involved with eating with others and how to make choices.
• By having a school lunch your child can receive two of their five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables.

Our new menus contain many of your child's old favourites such as sausages and burgers, and now Quorn dishes. These are fresh and of the highest quality. Our fish dishes are accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council as coming from sustainable stocks. We also offer a number of new exciting dishes to tempt your child to try something different. We try and source our food from the UK and local suppliers, providing fresh local ingredients wherever possible.

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Gold Food for Life standard

Thurrock Catering Services has been awarded the Gold Food For Life Award by meeting the following criteria:

Bronze

• Meals contain no undesirable food additives or hydrogenated fats
• 75% of dishes are freshly prepared
• Meat is from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards
• Eggs are from cage-free hens
• Menus are seasonal
• Training is provided for all catering staff
• No GM ingredients are used

Silver (in addition to Bronze criteria)

• A range of local, organic and fair trade produce is served
• Chicken, eggs and pork products are from sources which meet high welfare standards or 10% of food is organic
• No fish is served from the Marine Conservation Society 'fish to avoid' list
• Information about where the food has come from is on display

Gold (in addition to Bronze and Silver criteria)

• At least 30% of ingredients are organic or Marine Stewardship Council certified
• At least 50% of ingredients are locally sourced
• Organic meat, dairy products or eggs are served as the highest welfare standard
• Non-meat dishes are being promoted as part of a balanced, climate-friendly diet

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Free school meals

Is your child missing out? There is such a thing as a free lunch!!

You could be entitled to free school meals if you receive:

• Income support
• Income-based job seekers allowance
• Child Tax Credit (income under £16,190)
• Guaranteed part of Pension Credit
• Income related employment and support allowance
• Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Working tax credit is not an entitlement to free school meals.

You may be entitled to apply and receive free school meals for your child. For further details please see our page on free school meals.

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Would you like to join our team?

Thurrock Catering Service employs over 150 local staff to work across the borough in our 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 1-4 hours per day, term time only, please contact 0870 787 1176 or email: recruitment@thurrock.gov.uk.

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Contact us

We are always looking for ways to improve our service so any comments or suggestions you may have would be gratefully received.

• Thurrock Catering Service
• 15 Civic Square
• Tilbury
• Essex
• RM18 8AD

• Tel: 01375 413621
• Fax: 01375 413518
• Email: education@thurrock.gov.uk

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