If someone said ‘Covid hero’ this time last year you’d think they’d fallen from another planet. What’s a Covid hero? What’s Covid?
Sadly, in 2020 we found out what Covid was in no uncertain terms. If you’re a glass half full type who believes in silver linings, you may be inclined to applaud the one life-affirming aspect of this disaster – the humanity, humility and sheer kindness demonstrated by so many during the course of the pandemic. These Covid heroes must be recognised for their selfless courage. From NHS workers to supermarket staff and other superhumans who put themselves at risk to keep the country moving, we are all grateful to those who put themselves on the front line to help others. Quattro Foods is delighted to harness the influence of National School Meals Week this November to honour the numerous brilliant school kitchen teams across the country.
School catering staff have been serving lunch tirelessly throughout the pandemic, including during the school holidays. Whilst most kids were home-schooled, there were thousands of children of keyworkers and vulnerable children who continued to go to school, and were fed daily by the dedicated catering staff.
As children returned to school after lockdown, school kitchen staff were tasked with reinventing the school dinner. From packed lunches in classrooms to staggered lunchtimes and a variety of other Covid-safe arrangements, catering staff were at the heart of getting kids back to school.
These dedicated individuals were not alone in their commitment to feeding the country’s children. Another hero is Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford (MBE – well deserved!) who was also hard at work lobbying the Government to ensure that children in need received meals throughout the summer. The footballer has formed a child food poverty task force, bringing together many of the UK’s biggest supermarkets and food brands.
For almost 30 years National School Meals Week has been celebrating those who feed little mouths and brains with hot, nutritious meals at lunchtime.
School Meals Week 2020 has launched a series of activities built around 5 popular themes and adopted by schools across the country.
Monday – Go meat free. Healthy, delicious and environmentally beneficial veggie choices are the order of the day.
Tuesday – The school meals Oscars. A day of students’ favourite meals – where lunch choices are the stars of the show.
Wednesday – National roast dinner day. Run by The Soil Association, this popular event is a favourite amongst pupils and staff, especially on cold winter days.
Thursday – The Great British School Lunch. Supported by ‘Love British Food’, caterers create dishes packed with British favourites, sourced from local farmers and businesses.
Friday – Thank you keyworkers! Caterers are encouraged to invite their local MP to school for lunch and to present the catering team with a certificate recognising their contribution to country throughout the pandemic.
And at Quattro Foods we continue to supply schools and colleges across the country with delicious and nutritious school meals so that our children suffer minimal disruption as we navigate our strange new world.
Happy School Meals Week 2020!