Our school meals are cooked daily in our own kitchen by our School Cook, Mrs Hardy.
NYES Catering School Meals
School meals can provide a healthy and nutritionally balanced meal for your child every day and at Hensall Primary they are cooked and prepared by Angela Hardy, our Cook and Beatrix Main, our Kitchen Assistant.
Our NYES Catering service provides school meals to many of the schools in North Yorkshire, as well as many schools in the surrounding area, with the aim of bringing enjoyment to school lunchtimes with local, fresh, great quality food being at the heart of what we do.
We follow a healthy eating policy, with 75% of our food produced daily in a school kitchen. We provide:
- Red tractor approved fresh meat and poultry
- Free-range eggs and sustainably caught fish
- A menu that is fully compliant to the School Food Standards
- Fruit and vegetables sourced regionally where possible using local suppliers to promote local businesses and reduce our carbon footprint
- Products free from additives associated with health problems in young children
- A menu that is nutritionally analysed, as well as being checked by a registered nutritionist
- Information and menu guidance on any specific dietary requirements any staff or pupils may have
- Fats free from hydrogenated oils
- Menus that are nutritionally balanced.
You can view our school meals food policy here.
NYES Catering hold Food for Life accreditation which recognises that we are committed to serving fresh, healthy, and sustainable meals using local food producers.
NYES Catering are also the current holders of the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) award for Best Service Team. The APSE awards recognise the very best in public services, receiving nominations from across the UK.
Our primary school menus:
- Are changed twice a year to reflect the seasons
- Have a three-week menu cycle, allowing children to become familiar with the food served
- Are written using feedback from pupils, parents, carers, cooks and school staff.
We also offer jacket potatoes and sandwiches.
Our children are encouraged to set their own place with a knife, fork, spoon and water cup and tidy away after themselves once finished too. Children are encouraged to collect their meals from the Cook and then select a piece of fresh bread. The Midday Supervisors look after our children at lunchtime, keeping them safe whilst eating and encouraging them to use a knife and fork, display appropriate table manners and to always say please and thank you. We believe that every part of the day is a learning opportunity.
Our menus are also available in multiple additional languages: Arabic, Dari, Malay, Pashto, Romanian, Ukrainian. All menus can be downloaded from the North Yorkshire Council website here.
We host fun promotional event days throughout the year with special menus to add an extra “buzz” to school lunches. Recent examples include Build a Burger, Best of British and Street Food. These exciting one-off menus are shared with the school ahead of the day; please ask the school for more information.
If your child has an allergy to one of the 14 allergens, intolerance, or allergy to any food not included in the 14 allergens, or any other special dietary requirement, please talk to us and we will try to accommodate their requirements. Our cooks and catering managers are fully trained and updated in special dietary management. More information can be found on the North Yorkshire Council website here and we have a Special Diet Welcome Pack which can be downloaded from this page on the NYES Catering website. Please contact the headteacher in the first instance, stating the required diet and our team will be in touch.
All Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are entitled to Universal Infant Free School Meals.
Free School Meals are also available for all pupils whose families receive financial support. Find out more on the North Yorkshire Council website free school meals page.
For more information and answers to some frequently asked questions visit the North Yorkshire Council school meals webpage.
How do I sign up?
Parents are requested to complete the paper copy of the three weekly menu for the three half terms at the start of the term. Pupils can have the hot choice, a jacket potato, a sandwich or bring their own packed lunch or can 'pick and mix', selecting a combination of the above. If your child chose a menu option at the start of the term but, having tried it, wishes to change, this can be arranged by emailing the school office where Miss Mills will change their chosen selection going forward.
Currently children in Key Stage One (Reception, Year 1 and Y2) benefit from Universal Free School Meals - the Government covers the cost! However fussy you think your little eater is, we would encourage you to sign your child up for a school meal. you can be confident that in the wide choice available there will be something that your child will love.
A school lunch is £3.30 per day or £16.50 per week, payable in advance on ParentPay. This is excellent value for money given the hot meal prepared, offered with a piece of fresh bread and a dessert. We do encourage all our families to support our meal service as much as they can to keep it a viable financial model in the current funding climate.
The menus for the current term are available to view at the bottom of the page.
Can my child still bring a packed lunch?
Yes they can, but we would encourage them to try a school lunch. This will give them a varied and balanced diet and save you time and money. If you wish your child to have a packed lunch then we ask that you provide a healthy one, which is low in saturated fats, salt and sugar with no glass bottles or fizzy drinks. Please also avoid any food item containing nuts, pastries, crisps and chocolate on a daily basis and encourage salads and fruit. Packed lunches are stored in an area which is not refrigerated so please be aware of this when choosing the contents.
