Our Catering Team is made up of seven staff members who are directly employed by St Catherine's College. Each year group has its own food servery to use at break and lunchtimes. Additionally, the café is open daily for breakfast between 8 - 8.30am.

Our dedicated catering team prepares a four-week menu cycle which is reviewed and amended on a regular basis. It might be subject to occasional changes. The menu for the week can be found below, along with our prices and school Food Policy.

Our menu offers a wide range of options, including a vegetarian main meal and healthy alternatives. Food is prepared daily with low levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat. We provide a fresh, creative and nutritious approach to café catering, built on fundamental beliefs that food should be healthy and that school lunches should be a time for everyone to look forward to and enjoy. We also have a real commitment to ethically sourced and quality produce, some of which are locally sourced, and a wide range of dishes that meet the dietary needs and a taste of a diverse, international community. 

The benefits of our school meal service include:

• Meals that follow the DfE School Food Standards
• Special dietary requirements are catered for
• Freshly cooked wholesome food
• We cater for and consider students with specific food allergies
• A hot meal is available every day, including a vegetarian option
• Our food does not contain nuts

We encourage healthy eating when planning the menu, with the right balance of the five main food groups.

“The Eatwell Plate”:

• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates.
• Starchy food should make up just over a third of the food we eat. Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein foods.
• These foods are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Pulses, such as beans, peas and lentils, are good alternatives to meat because they're low in fat and they're a good source of fibre and protein, too.
• Choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.
• Aim for at least 2 portions (2 x 140g) of fish every week, 1 of which should be oily, such as tuna, salmon, sardines or mackerel.
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks and yoghurts).
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat in small amounts
• Eat foods high in fat, salt and sugar less often and in small amounts.
• These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.
• They're not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.
• Drink plenty of fluids – the government recommends 6 to 8 cups or glasses a day.
• Water, lower-fat milks, lower-sugar or sugar-free drinks and tea and coffee all count. Fruit juice and smoothies also count towards your fluid consumption, but they contain free sugars that can damage teeth, so limit these drinks to a combined total of 150ml a day.

Healthy balanced meals help improve young people’s concentration and performance in school; as well as promoting health, growth and development, increasing resistance to illness and introducing good habits for later life.

Cashless catering procedures:

Cashless catering encourages students to make purchases without the need to carry cash, reducing the risk of them making unhealthy eating choices by spending cash elsewhere. It also allows our catering team to serve students quickly and efficiently.

Payment options:

• Debit card via Arbor

Free School Meals:

If your child is entitled to free school meals, the daily allowance is £3.00 which can either be used at break or lunchtime (not both). We encourage students to use their allowance at lunchtime and to bring an extra snack with them from home to eat at breaktime. 

If you’d like to check if you’re eligible and/or apply for free school meals, please visit: https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/schools/school-life/meals/free/

Timings:

• Breakfast: 8:00 - 8:30am (in the Cafe)
• Break time: 11:10 - 11:25am
• Lunchtime: 1:30 - 2:00pm

All year group food serveries are open at break and lunchtimes.

For enquiries please contact our Catering Manager: Jojo Michaelson via rmichaelson@stcatherines.college