Lowerplace Primary School catering make UK’s top ten

The catering team at Lowerplace Primary School in Rochdale celebrate with Headteacher Garry Johnson. (Left to right: Ellen Golden, Theresa Buckley, Lisa Hill, Marion Roberts, Garry Johnson, Christine Lancelott, Claire Carroll and Saika Ilyas)

The school catering team based at Lowerplace Primary School in Rochdale has been named by Education Business Magazine as one of the top ten in the country for providing outstanding catering.

The publication said the catering team ‘works hard to produce a varied, exciting and delicious school menu, and that all its meal choices were healthy’.

The school meal menu includes a choice of two hot meals each day, as well as freshly prepared sandwiches and themed meals for special weeks when menus are adapted.

They are also helping to battle childhood obesity as part of the council’s Healthy Heroes campaign by ensuring children have nutritious, healthy food.

Lowerplace Primary School Headteacher Garry Johnson said: “I am not surprised to see them recognised in this way, they have made our lunch lounge the heart of the school, producing over 2,000 healthy meals a week for children and staff. When you consider there are 26,000 schools in the country, to make this top ten is a fantastic accolade.”

Councillor Neil Emmott, cabinet member for housing and environment, said: “This team of professional caters do a fantastic job every day, preparing nutritious healthy meals while making food fun and educational.

"This national acknowledgement is well deserved and as part of our Healthy Heroes childhood obesity campaign we want to ensure all primary schools in the borough achieve this excellence award by 2020.”