Welsh primary school fights food waste with ‘innovative’ scheme
The produce is used in school cooking lessons, eliminating the need for families to purchase ingredients, while helping cut down on food waste.
Lynne Williams who leads on the cookery initiative at the school, said: “Our aim within the kitchen and during our cookery sessions is to develop our pupils and our wider communities 'Food Literacy’. We provide the opportunities for pupils to plant, learn about, grow, harvest, and then cook the foods they grow. We also offer this produce for families to cook with as part of our Bocs Bwyd Llandeilo initiative.”
In September 2022, Wales began the universal primary free school meals programme. Over 15m universal free school meals have already been served through the programme, which will be rolled out to all primary schoolchildren and more than 6,000 nursery aged pupils by the end of the 2024.
The school runs an on-site allotment where children can help grow and harvest vegetables to be used in cooking lessons.
Karen Towns, headteacher at Llandeilo, added: “Through developing Bocs Bwyd Llandeilo, our school allotment and school kitchen, we have deeper understanding of and connections with our families within the school. Families feel cared for and important, and appreciate their wellbeing and personal circumstances being supported.”