IF YOU ONLY DO TEN THINGS, DO THESE:

In The Kitchen

1. Calculate what demand will be like in September and if the kitchen team needs more equipment or staffing hours. Check out our formula on page 7.

2. Introduce regular team debriefs to work through challenges and identify solutions with service or workload, feeding back to the School Business Manager where required (p15).

3. Ensure team members are trained and confident on existing or new equipment (p11).

4. Start trialling new menus and smart recipes now, these can simplify service without reducing quality (p12).

For Speedy Service

5. Ensure all staff know correct portion sizes, this will ensure a speedy service and reduce waste (p17).

6. Make sure you have the most efficient service - don’t be afraid to try new things (like family dining, or getting children involved in food service) (p19)

7. Familiarise children with the menus and ingredientsdisplay them in reception or as screen savers.

School Office

8. Ask parents to sign up for a term’s worth of meals in advance. This enables better budgeting, which in turn saves the school money (read more on p12).

9. Start engaging with parents about school food to encourage take up of a free school lunch (p30).

10. Don’t forget to LOVE your kitchen team: Recognise the incredible contribution kitchen staff make at your school, include them in decision making, provide development opportunities and ensure they feel part of the community.