School Dinners

At Berwick Middle School we use a computerised ordering and payment system to ensure children get the meals that they want, and to provide cashless payment options for parents.  It allows parents to go online and order meals from home, view recipes and check artificial ingredient information. Alternatively, children order in school during morning registration.

At lunchtime the children select their name on a touch screen in the dining hall, their meal choice is displayed to the cook, as well as their dietary needs.  If a mismatch is detected the cook will advise of an alternative.

You can choose to pay by direct debit. Sign up for direct debit at www.live-kitchen.co.uk/lk  - log in, go to account then direct debit and follow the on screen instructions.  You will be sent regular statements that will inform you of the meal choices your child made each day. Forget having to find the correct change each day or pay large sums in advance - direct debit lets you pay automatically. Statements are sent out on a four weekly basis and you are given two weeks notice before amounts are collected. You will only be charged for the days when your child actually ate.  Once you are set up to pay by direct debit you will be emailed a username and password for logging in. You can then use the pre-order facility, this allows parents or pupils to pre-order on the internet for up to a term at a time.

You can still pay by cash. We have a post box outside the school office for dinner money, envelopes are provided and must be clearly marked with the pupil's name, class and the amount.  We can also organise login details for you to go online and pre-order meals.

For a sample of dinner menus please click here

Guidance on Packed Lunches

A number of parents have been asking for ideas and guidance about what a packed lunch should/not contain.

As a school we recommend that a packed lunch should contain:

• A drink – not fizzy. Water is best, but fruit juice and smoothies are acceptable. Although these both contain sugars, they are fruit sugars rather than sweeteners or refined sugars.
• A sandwich or starch based item (such as a rice or pasta salad)
• Salad or vegetables for example green salad, tomatoes and/or carrot sticks
• A piece of fruit
• A dairy item such as cheese or a yoghurt
• Treats, such as cakes, biscuits, chocolate or crisps should be limited to once a week

We understand that children can become ‘fussy’ in their eating habits and that the labelling on some food products makes it difficult to decide what is and is not healthy food.  Therefore, we would like to encourage parents to share their ideas – we will post your suggestions (or pictures) on our school social media (Facebook and Twitter).

To get the ball rolling, there are some fantastic ideas on the BBC Good Food website https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration and a guide from the Children’s Food Trust  here.

If you feel truly creative, simply put ‘Bento lunch boxes’ into your search engine and take a look at this Japanese craze! If you decide to have a go, make sure you take a photo and send it in!

Finally, if you’re less ‘creative’ and a little more ‘crazed’ in the morning, please make use of the school lunch services here at school; Mandy not only offers a full range of hot meals, but also sandwiches and salads; saving you the effort (and sometimes the arguments) in a morning.

 Hope that this helps.