Tuckshop Advocacy Corner

QAST is committed to being an independent voice for Queensland school tuckshops through our advocacy activities The issues important to our members drives our advocacy agenda.

NATIONAL REPRESENTATION

The Federation of Canteens in Schools (FOCIS) is the peak body representing the interests of all canteen and tuckshop associations nationally, as well as school communities

A strategic priority for FOCIS is to raise the profile of the school tuckshop, and this is equally important to QAST

In the past 12 months QAST has strengthened our relationship with FOCIS to move this agenda forward on a national level.

Stay tuned for more information.

Supporting Members

QAST understands how complex running a school tuckshop can be, so we are developing a toolkit for members, to promote the invaluable contribution they make to the school community

QAST membership is a trusted source of accurate information, essential training, and useful resources.

Key tuckshop procedures include:

Daily Schedule

Job sheets (i e snack station, sandwich station etc )

Allergy management

Food Safety Plan

Cleaning and sanitising

Temperature control

Hand washing procedures

Incoming goods checklist

By documenting these policies and procedures, and communicating them well, when and if things go wrong, everyone knows how to manage the situation, and problems may be less likely to occur

Not sure where to start? QAST has developed a range of sample policies and procedures for members to use in the tuckshop. Visit our Resources section at qast.org.au/resources/

The toolkit will include materials to communicate member benefits to the P&C Executive, making the decision to renew, or join, so much easier.

Watch out for this by the end of Term 2, 2023.

Healthy Menu Best Practice

Feedback from members over time has revealed that moving towards a healthy menu in the tuckshop, whilst rewarding, can also mean challenges, trade-offs, and even overcoming opposition from the school community

We have presented your feedback to Health and Wellbeing Queensland, and they have asked QAST to investigate best practice in school-based health food and drink supply policies in Australian and New Zealand schools

We are hopeful this will lead to breaking down the barriers to creating healthier menus, benefitting the health and wellbeing of all Queensland children