Our Food
We have consistently maintained our Food Hygiene rating at "5" Very Good (the best hygiene rating given). See https://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/business/gaggle-nursery-and-pre-school-crayford-dartford-963249.html
We also have a "Healthy Catering" Award from the Bexley Council refer to link: https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/public-health/healthier-catering-commitment
This means we have been audited for meeting criteria for appropriate use of of fats, oils and salt and the availability of lower sugar drinks and snacks, plus fruit and vegetables. We do not provide any sugar drinks and provide a variety of ingredients on our wholesome seasonal menu.
Nutritious food is an important ingredient for growth and development of children. We provide a wide variety, well balanced, and freshly home cooked food for children.
We have a 3 week rolling menu that is changed every 6 months to cater for seasonal ingredients and offer variety.
Every day our children enjoy:
- Breakfast
- Two course Lunch
- Two course Tea
We have also been awarded the Healthy Catering mark by the council as evidence of our commitment to healthy balanced food for our children.
We are subject to food hygiene inspections by the local authority and have been rated ‘5’ ‘Very good’ at our last inspection.
We are happy to cater for Special Dietary Requirements (e.g. Vegan, Halal etc) and Allergies. For example, if a child is a vegetarian then we can ensure he is provided only vegetarian food. However, in case of complex and severe allergy needs we may request the parents to provide their meals from home.
Food is freshly cooked and served hot. We do not use pre cut and packaged fruits. The bakery, sauces, deserts, and juices may be sourced from grocery shopping shelves of Sainsbury, Asda, Iceland, Tesco, or Morrison. Ingredients are checked for absence of any artificial flavours or preservatives and these are not provided at the setting.
Fresh clean & filtered water is available to children at all times and they are encouraged to drink water often to keep well hydrated. Additionally, the nursery has water fountains that preschool children can access.
We welcome suggestions from parents to include recipes that they have found success at home.
3 week menu would look like below:
| Meal | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Fruit, Cereals, Toast & Milk. (G, Mk) | Cereals, Toast & Milk. (G, Mk) | Fruit, Cereals & Milk. (G, Mk) | Cereals, Toast & Milk. (G, Mk) | Fruit, Cereals, Toast & Milk. (G, Mk) |
| Pudding after Lunch | Yogurt / Chocolate topped Rice Cakes (Mk) | Bread & Butter Pudding (G, Mk, E) | Apple Puffs (G, Mk, E) | Custard (Mk, E) | Fruit Salad |
Week 1
| Meal | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | Egg Fried Rice (G,Mk,E) | Vegetable chilli and Rice served (G, Mk) | Vegetable tagine with fluffy Cous Cous | Oven Baked chicken with new potatoes and Gravy followed fruit salad (G, Mk) | Fish Fried Rice (Mk,E,F) |
| Tea | Chicken & Sweet corn Pie (G, Mk) | Baked Cauliflower & Potato cheese pie (Mk) | Chicken Nuggets with Potato Wedges (G, E) | Egg Sandwiches with Cucumber sticks (G, E, Mk) | Basil & Ricotta Ravioli (G, Mk) |
Week 2
| Meal | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | Chilli con carne served with Rice | Savory Veg Rice with Curd | Shepherd’s Pie (G, Mk) | Beef Curry with Rice (Mk, Ce) | Spanish Paella |
| Tea | Vegetable stir fry and noodles (So, E, G) | Baked Bean Pie topped with Mash (Mk) | Chicken Conchighe in white sauce (G,Mk) | Egg & Cheese Wraps with Potato Wedges (G, E, Mk) | Spinach Tortellini (G, Mk) |
Week 3
| Meal | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | Chicken, Pepper and broccoli kebabs served with wedges and Humus | Spinach Risotto (Mk) | Beef Lasagna served with Cucumber (G, E, Mk) | Chicken Hotpot (G) | Jacket Potato with Tuna and sweet corn (F) |
| Tea | Veg and Cheese Rolls with Mash potato (G, Su, Mk) | Tomato pasta bake (G, Mk) | Baked Beans on Toast | Scrambled Eggs on Toast (G, E) | Cheese sandwiches served with cucumber and tomatoes (G,Mk) |
