Brynteg School Catering Staff Serve Up National Award

Pupils at Brynteg School in Bridgend can proudly say that they are eating some of the finest school meals in Wales after a national catering award was dished out to the school’s kitchen staff. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

They were named Frontline Catering Team of the Year at the LACA (Lead Association for Catering in Education) Wales Awards, held at the Vale Resort last week to celebrate and recognise excellent catering in Welsh schools. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Brynteg kitchen staff won the award in honour of the way they have worked closely with pupils during the last year to introduce a range of new menu options that have made meals healthier than ever. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

After pupils who are members of the school council conducted a full review of food on offer in Brynteg, their feedback led to new hand-held options such as burritos and pulled pork pasta sauce being added to the menus, while the canteen also trialled a new fruit and salad bar. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A previous pre-order service for sandwiches and salads was reintroduced too, while students’ requests for a choice of new café style drinks including frappes and smoothies were also answered. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A recent survey found that only 56 per cent of boys and 38 per cent of girls at the Bridgend secondary school regularly eat breakfast during the week, so school council members have also been reminding their classmates about the current healthy breakfast provision that is available at the school. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bridgend County Borough Council’s catering team serve up a breakfast service from 8:15am each day, with toast, fresh fruit and milk among the options available for both lower and upper school pupils to buy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Huw David, the Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said: “Congratulations to the catering staff at Brynteg on this achievement in recognition of their innovation and willingness to engage with pupils so that their meal options could be broadened to meet demand. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“All of our school meals across the county borough meet the Welsh Local Government Association’s Healthy Eating in Schools regulations, and a vast amount of complex work goes into ensuring that the meals contain the nutrients required to give hungry pupils all the energy they need for a busy school day.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

To win their award, Brynteg beat off competition from the other shortlisted finalists – Gwernyfed High School (Powys), Millbank Primary (Cardiff), Ysgol Bryn Hafren (Vale of Glamorgan) and Cornist Park School (Flintshire). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In addition to Brynteg’s success, Bridgend County Borough Council was shortlisted as one of three local authorities in the running for the Welsh Catering Management Team of the Year Award, while Ceri James, the Catering Services meals at home organiser, won a Silver Award for her decorated novelty cake and a Gold Award for her cupcakes in the LACA Celtic Creations cake competition. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​