News

The Barking and Dagenham Catering Services department is celebrating after its Seed to Plate Programme was chosen to feature as a best practice case study in this year’s Sustain Good Food for London report.

Initiatives such as the Field to Fork potato harvest programme, which is supported by McCain Foods, were designed to help pupils learn about the growing process and understand where food comes from.

Maureen Lowes, Barking and Dagenham Catering Services Manager, said: “The food growing experience allows for a genuine whole school approach to healthy eating that is fun and rewarding for the kids.

“Every single child is given the opportunity to bring the food chain to life using the resources provided and get the opportunity to taste their hard work.”

In spring this year, after being supplied with pots, soil and appropriate gardening tools, pupils from 23 schools in the borough planted their seeds, watered them and waited for them to grow.

The class that harvested the most produce in each school, determined by weight, was awarded a certificate of achievement at a special award ceremony.

The home-grown potatoes were then served for lunch by the school’s catering team. They were either roasted and served with rosemary or transformed in to chocolate orange potato cakes.