Nurturing A Lifelong Love Of Food
Healthy food and good nutrition are the heart of our Catering Department. Freshly cooked and served by our own in-house team, using seasonal ingredients that are sourced locally, our children enjoy a wholesome, balanced and nutritious lunch. Our hot lunch consists of a main course or a vegetarian option, together with a full salad bar. As well as tempting, varied, reduced sugar-desserts we also have a fruit or yoghurt option every day.
Our meat is from Carnivore Ltd, traditional butchers based in Sidcup, who make their their sausages and bacon on their premises. All their Beef, Lamb and Chicken is free range, organic and reliably sourced.
Our vegetables are from Fig & Fennel in Kent. Fig & Fennel provide us with home-grown fresh farm produce offering a wealth of seasonal fruit and vegetables. All their packaging is bio-degradable which also fits well with our eco-vision here at Merton Court.
Our children are subjected to lots of influences from both Celebrities and social media which can have a huge impact on their diet and lifestyles. Children and Staff are becoming flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan – we are very mindful of these diets and will endeavour to offer options that suit all tastes. Our Head Cook, Miss Cathy, along with her well qualified team, are well versed in both ‘Natasha’s Law’ (October 2021 – Allergy awareness and food safety) and ‘Benedict’s Law’ ( September 2026 – Allergy requirements for schools). Please do not hesitate to contact them if you have any questions (c.cowburn@mertoncourtprep.co.uk) or through the School Office.
Allergies are very common in our society and we are very lucky to have a catering team who are dedicated to providing safe and enjoyable lunches. Our two cooks are both Allergy trained. We can, and do accommodate a variety of food intolerances and are always here to help and advise parent/carers with any issues they wish to discuss. We have a detailed Allergy Chart on the ‘Parents’ section of our website, giving a comprehensive breakdown of all ingredients.
We also have an Allergy Policy, on our website or a copy may be obtained from the School Office.
Our ‘golden guidelines’ are simple:
- Allergy – this is specifically diagnosed by your GP.
- Intolerance – this is food or drink that may cause discomfort or upset your metabolism.
- Preference – you may not really like it or your have specific religious or cultural reasons for not eating a particular food.
Sustainability is high on our agenda and our S4 School Council and Food Ambassadors are passionate about making a difference. How our food is packed, where it comes from and what we eat are concerns we all have and here at Merton Court we are eager to educate and evolve. They also arrange ‘themed’ lunches, for example St Patrick’s Day lunch for the whole school. All children are encouraged to only take what they can eat, to discourage food waste and help the environment.
Our Advisory Board member responsible for Nutrition is Mrs J Jenkins.