Information on Loughborough

American Diner is a great success

Posted on 10/11/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council

10 November 2009

American Diner is a great success

Pupils of Hastings High School are celebrating the success of an American-style mobile diner in their school grounds –as part of National School Meals Week.

The diner has been introduced in a bid to encourage pupils who rarely go into the dining room at school to eat more healthily. Located outside it has been a particular hit allowing the pupils to enjoy spending their lunch and break times outside and getting a healthy meal at the same time.

To celebrate National School Meals Week the School Food Support Service is providing a special meal for any Leicestershire school that wants to take part. At Hastings the lunch will include chicken and sweet potato balti, Quorn lasagne, and Hawaiian beefburgers with sweet and sour pineapple relish. This will be available on Wednesday 11th November at 12.30pm.

Headteacher of Hastings High School Matthew Pike said: “We are absolutely delighted with the results of the American style diners. The children have really taken to them and seem to be enjoying the freedom they provide.

“They can enjoy sitting outside with their friends, playing sports and socialising without having to come into the dining room. The food is of a high standard and the consensus so far has been that it is a great success, they have even gone as far as to name the trailer the green machine!”

Wendy Philp of the School food Support Service said: “We are delighted with the success of the trailers and this coincides with an increase in the number of pupils that are having school lunches.

“Between September 2008 and September 2009 the number of secondary school pupils eating school meals has gone up 29.8%. The trailer is just one option we are trying to encourage children to have school meals.

“We are thrilled that the number of pupils having school meals is rising and that more children are having nutritious and healthy meals. It is something to be really proud of and we want to celebrate this as part of National School Meals Week.”

Ivan Ould, County Council Cabinet Member for the Children and Young People’s Service said: “A large number of children won’t eat in the school canteen and would rather spend their money on chips and burgers. The purpose of the cabins is to provide the children with a bigger choice within the school by offering another alternative.

“It is fantastic that so far the trailers have been such a success and we can only build on this for the future.”

Photo Opportunity:

Photographers and journalists are invited to Hastings High School on Wednesday 11th November AT 112.30pm to see the diner as part of a celebration of National School Meals Week.

Address: Hastings High School, St Catherines Close, Burbage, Hinckley, Leics LE10 2QE at 12.30pm.

Ends

For more information contact Wendy Philp on 01530 278123 or 0779 860 7463, or Katherine Simon on 0115 941 0714.

Notes:

The County Council's School Food Support aims to encourage all school children in Leicestershire to have a nutritionally balanced diet in the school environment to promote healthy development and growth and to give the whole school community support, advice and guidance in this respect.