Site Stories: East Renfrewshire celebrates 10 years

East Renfrewshire Council is celebrating 10 years of Food for Life Served Here. We investigate how they provide a fantastic service to deliver high-quality school meals for their young people.

East Renfrewshire Council catering team, which first received the award in 2014, is now serving over 5,600 nutritious, sustainable and locally-sourced Food for Life meals per day in its 24 primary schools. The bronze award recognises that a minimum of 75% of dishes are freshly prepared from unprocessed ingredients.

“East Renfrewshire Council strives for excellence in giving children the best start and being supported to succeed,” said Nicky Joiner, Catering Coordinator for East Renfrewshire Council.

“We wanted to be able to tell parents that we were serving high-quality school meals, beneficial to children’s health, wellbeing and attainment. The award was an excellent way to do that.”

East Renfrewshire Council is dedicated to providing inclusive, nutritious meals that meet the diverse needs of their school community. As the only council in Scotland with both a Halal-certified and Coeliac UK-certified gluten-free kitchen, they ensure that all pupils, regardless of dietary requirements, have access to high-quality, balanced meals.

Their team is trained in dietary regulations, allergen management, and innovative recipe development. This ensures that all meals meet the highest food safety standards while maintaining variety and flavour. All school kitchens have the Food for Life seasonality calendar on display and catering staff attended Food for Life training sessions on seasonality in 2022, learning how to incorporate seasonal produce onto school menus. Collaboration across teams ensures that their Halal and gluten-free menus are as diverse and appealing as possible.

School staff model openness to different foods, reinforcing a culture of experimentation. Promotional tools, including "Dish of the Week" features and posters, further highlight the nutritional and environmental benefits of our meals.

Through teamwork, inclusivity, and a commitment to sustainability, East Renfrewshire Council provides an enriching dining experience that broadens pupils’ taste ranges while prioritizing their health and well-being.

They partner closely with McLays, a local produce supplier, to source fresh, seasonal ingredients from Scotland. McGees (Glasgow) for bakery products, McLays (Glasgow) for butcher meat, Brakes (Livingston) for green gourmet, red tractor and fish products and Muller for milk and dairy.

By working closely with McLays, they prioritise sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients that enhance the flavour and nutritional value of their meals. For instance, they developed a seasonal menu that features ingredients such as locally grown vegetables, fruits, and herbs. This initiative not only supports local farmers but also introduces pupils to fresh, flavourful produce that elevates the overall dining experience.

 

‘When some of the catering staff saw the harvest squash for the first time, they were unsure what to do with it, so we introduced a newsletter which accompanies the menu. It gives information about the vegetables and ideas for preparing them.’ Cooks also pass this information to pupils.

According to Nicky, ‘the taste difference is phenomenal. The children and the catering managers were quite surprised about that. The pears, for example, tasted amazing. They don’t look perfect, but we chop them up.’

To involve pupils in menu development, they host regular taster sessions. One highlight was their "Healthy Taster Day," where pupils sampled new recipes featuring local ingredients. As a result, participants expressed interest in having these dishes added to the regular menu, reinforcing the importance of pupil feedback.

East Renfrewshire’s efforts to increase uptake of in-school meals and promote healthier options have been met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from both pupils and parents. Their annual pupil survey, which forms the basis of the "You Ask, We Did" initiative, reveals that 77% of pupils feel encouraged to make healthy food choices, with 88% feeling they are generally healthy and 80% acknowledging the care provided by catering staff. Pupils have also shared specific feedback, with one commenting, "I enjoy lunch as it currently is," and another stating, "Nothing, I think it's perfect." These responses reflect the success of their commitment to creating a positive dining experience for pupils.

Parents have also expressed their satisfaction, with 67.8% rating the service as "good" or "excellent" in our parent survey. Comments such as "My family are just appreciative of all of your hard work" and "The catering service is doing a great job" further highlight the positive impact of our school meal programs.

Their high uptake rates for school meals, with 82% of free school meal pupils and 42% of paid meal pupils participating, are among the highest in Scotland. Many of their schools actively promote meal uptake by engaging pupils in initiatives like "Let’s Get Cooking" sessions, ingredient visual tables, and pupil councils that test and provide feedback on new menu items. These hands-on experiences foster familiarity and comfort with healthy food choices.

In addition, initiatives like "Free Food Friday" and "Fruity Play" reduce waste and provide additional nourishment to pupils, while programs like "Cook and Grow" teach students about the full farm-to-fork process, further promoting healthy eating habits across the school community.

It’s through this work, East Renfrewshire Council has managed to serve over one million meals in its primary schools since achieving the FFLSH Bronze award. Here’s to another 10 years!