STEPHEN’S SCHOOL DINNERS – TOP CHEF COOKS FOR LEICESTERSHIRE KIDS

Press Release: School Food Support Service

A TOP chef has served up two dishes featuring Quality Standard beef and Quality Standard lamb to some very discerning critics – Leicestershire schoolchildren!

Stephen Conway, head chef at Stapleford Park, was invited by the county’s School Food Support Service (SFSS) to provide some new additions to their menu. The SFSS took over responsibility for the catering last year, and has since unveiled ambitious, delicious meals, with an emphasis on locally sourced and healthy recipes.

Stephen dished up his creations at Stapleford Park, for a ‘tasting panel’ of enthusiastic primary children from Waltham on the Wolds, on Friday, July 3rd. They sampled a ‘light bite’ of lamb koftas, flatbread and salad, and a sturdier main course of traditional roast beef with sweet potato mash, red cabbage and green beans.

The youngsters were joined by representatives of the SFSS, EBLEX and the school caterers. Their combined feedback may mean final tweaks to the recipes or ingredients before the dishes are added to the school meals menus.

Isabelle Graham, 10 from Waltham on the Wolds Primary School was one of the schoolchildren involved, she said: “The food looked really nice, I liked the bright colours of the vegetables. The texture of the lamb was really different and tasty.” Christopher Morgan-Smith, also 10, said: “The beef was lovely and tender, I really liked it.”

Stephen Conway said: “It’s great for Stapleford to be involved in an event like this. I believe it is really important for the children to have healthy and nutritious meals that look and taste great as well. I was delighted to be involved in the project.”

Stephen’s passion for the hospitality industry was evident at an early age when he started working at his parent’s hotel in Blackpool. Before joining stately home Stapleford Park as a sous chef he worked at the prestigious Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire.

Wendy Philp, Head of the SFSS, said Stephen’s visit had been a great success. “Everyone agreed that Stephen’s dishes were fantastic.

We’re committed to pushing pupils out of their ‘comfort zones’ and getting them to try new things like red cabbage – and banishing forever the stereotype of soggy school veggies!

Working with a skilled chef, we knew that we’d get top quality food. Stephen has brought imagination and enthusiasm to the project and we’re delighted with what he’s come up with, both dishes are tasty and interesting without being too complicated, rich or overwhelming for younger palates.

We hope to have the dishes on the menu as soon as possible.”

SFSS is part of Leicestershire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Service. Its aim is to support and advise schools on their catering and school food in general. The School Food Support Service aims to encourage all school children in Leicestershire to have a nutritionally balanced diet in the school environment, to promote healthy development and growth and to give the school community support and guidance.

For more information, contact Wendy Philp on 0116 3055770/07798607463 or Katherine Simon / Liz Cartwright at Cartwright Communications on 0115 9410714 or 07769 713919.

About The School Food Support Service:

The School Food Support is part of Leicestershire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Service. Its aim is to provide meals and support schools on their catering and school food in general.

The School Food Support Service aims to encourage all school children in Leicestershire to have a nutritionally balanced diet in the school environment in order to promote healthy development and growth and to give the whole school community support, advice and guidance in this respect.

About EBLEX

EBLEX is the organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

It acts to help the English beef and lamb industry boost its competitiveness and promote its products. It aims are: To encourage better returns for the English beef and lamb industry, to stimulate a profitable demand for quality beef and lamb and to champion the development of a sustainable industry through improved profitability.

The Quality Standard for beef and lamb is the only scheme in the UK to cover eating quality. All beef and lamb carrying the Mark is chosen according to a strict selection process to ensure it is succulent and tender. Quality Standard beef and lamb is produced to higher standards than required by law with a supply chain which is fully assured and independently inspected at every stage from farm to meat counter. Find out more at www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk.

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