With the School Food plan due to be published later in June and the continuing requirement for many schools to reduce costs, Wayne Tessier, Brakes business unit director, said the pressure was on for school caterers to raise standards and influence the eating habits of school children by encouraging healthy and varied diets.
The Brakes School Food Guide and the Brakes School Food Club have been developed following focus group research among customers to identify the key support that school caterers require and how best to deliver it.
He said: "The Brakes School Food Guide, available in both print and online, covers everything that caterers will need to know to run a successful school catering business, including top selling dishes, menu cycles and recipes which are fully compliant with the school food standards, point of sale and menu solutions, to legislation and operational procedures, and everything in between.
"The online support builds on the information in the guide by offering access to further offers, menu and point-of-sale design solutions, marketing support and regular updates on the latest school food news."
Also launching as part of the school food support programme is a range of bespoke branded food solutions for primary and secondary schools that Brakes has been working closely with suppliers to develop.
The concepts, which are exclusive to Brakes, are designed to help schools meet demand for high street style concepts and shorter queueuing times, and sit alongside the existing Pasta Pronto, Substop and Café Culture concepts.
McCain 2Go - Created for Secondary Schools, 2go is a complete break or lunch time solution with fully analysed potato based recipes, customisable point of sale and branded collars. Easy to make, serve, hold and eat this package will ease kitchen management and keep pupils coming back for more.
Bernard Matthews We’ve Got Street Food - To introduce primary school pupils to exciting world cuisine and make lunch times more colourful and fun, recipes from around the world can now be made in three simple steps. Choose from noodle, rice, tortilla, naan or pasta bases, add one of the ‘low in saturated fat’ pre-cooked British turkey breast chunk products and finish off with extra sauce and vegetables.
Freezing Cow - Developed by Brakes, Freezing Cow is a delicious new frozen yogurt concept which enables operators to tap into the growing trend for great tasting, innovative and healthier versions of favourite products. Low in fat, a good source of calcium and quick and easy to scoop, Freezing Cow offers a great alternative to ice cream and features distinctive modern branding and can be customised with a wide variety of toppings to meet different tastes.