Star multi academy trust launches Star Eats across schools
A local multi-academy trust has appointed an executive chef to lead its newly launched, in-house catering service which will prioritise local suppliers, and ensure that food education and cooking is fully integrated into the curriculum.
Star multi academy trust – which was formed in 2018, and is now made up of eleven schools in Sherburn, Tadcaster and Selby – launched Star Eats at the start of the school year with an emphasis on healthy and nutritional school meals that help to keep the children energised throughout the day.
The initiative will be led by newly appointed executive chef, Stephen Harper, who has designed and developed the menu which is now available across the trust’s nine primary schools.
The star multi academy trust’s chief education officer, Ian Yapp, commented: “by bringing our catering in-house, we can better involve parents, young people and staff in developing our menus; we can choose where we source our food supplies; and we can better integrate food education and cooking into our curriculum.
“As a trust we are committed to creating an outstanding education within our academies to enable every young person to realise their full potential, and Star Eats is just one example of how we work to create a fun and enjoyable learning environment for the children and create positive habits for life beyond the school gates.
“We are particularly excited to welcome Stephen Harper, our newly appointed executive chef, who will lead this exciting new initiative, which we are confident will significantly improve the quality of school meals across our Trust.”
Over the coming weeks the new menu features crispy sweet potato katsu curry, cheese and onion pasties, and frozen fruit crush with yoghurt.
Stephen Harper, who has more than 25 years’ experience as a chef having worked in The five star Chester Grosvenor Hotel, food development at Bettys Tea Rooms: “I am honoured to be joining the team at Star Eats and to be involved in the rolling out of a new, in-house catering service.
“I firmly believe that all children in schools should have access to healthy, nutritious and delicious food that can help fuel the body throughout the day. But I also share the trust’s passion for educating the children on where their food comes from, and how it is made.
“By engaging and exciting the children about the meals they eat, we hope to give them confidence to enjoy cooking for themselves, and their families. Some of them may even go on to consider a career in catering or as a chef themselves in the future.”
While the trust explained that there was a small price increase for the new menu in comparison to last term, this is reflective of the rising costs of supplies and staff which would have been reflected by the previous catering service also.
Ian Yapp added: “we are confident that as part of this move we will be able to better reflect that price increase in the quality of food and meals that we offer.”
The star mat academy trust’s primary schools include Appleton Roebuck Primary School, Brayton CE Primary School, Kellington Primary School, Kirk Fenton CE Primary School, Monk Fryston and Saxton Federation of CE Primary, Riverside Primary School, Sherburn Hungate Primary School and South Milford Primary School.
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