Anyone in the UK is pretty much aware of the whole uproar there’s been over children’s school dinners, and that chef Jamie Oliver has been campaigning to get healthy meals in schools instead of the cheap rubbish they’ve been serving. I never ate school dinners, always took a packed lunch. However I do remember seeing other kids at school having egg and chips; sausage, chips and beans; burgers etc. The government has now been taking steps to get schools to change their menus, improve the cooking, the healthiness of these meals and what they serve, which is great news. Perhaps the kids won’t agree now but I’m sure in the future they’ll be happier knowing their health has been looked after.
Where am I going with this? Well last week I had a Wedding brochure through to update on a Restaurant website that I maintain for a client. It’s quite a swish restaurant, 3 AA stars, and their main meals sound it with meals such as
Breast of Chicken, stuffed with Confit of Wild Mushrooms served with Supreme Sauce
Grilled Tuna Steak with a Ratatouille Vinaigrette
Supreme of Salmon in a Puff Pastry Trellis, with a Vermouth and Sorrel Sauce
Breast of Guinea Fowl served with Caramelised Shallots and an Oyster Mushroom and Port Jus
Sounds elegant right? Well it does to me (the prices are pretty elegant too!). However I then happened to notice the following
SPECIAL MENU FOR THE UNDER 5’s
Tomato Soup or Orange Juice
Chicken Nuggets or Fish Fingers, or Sausages, beans and chips
Ice cream
In my mind their menu has gone from elegant to cheap and nasty if you’re under 5 years old! Of course, the chicken nuggets or fish fingers may be homemade, or the sausages of good quality, but I can’t see why they couldn’t have perhaps had something a bit more adventurous than junk food. A bit of pasta and bolognaise, a few slices of roast chicken or turkey (the Turkey is already on their menu), bit of mashed potato and vegetables. Anything but something, beans and chips!
I realise under 5s don’t want to eat healthy food (well some may) but that’s besides the point 
How can you expect schools to rework their budgets, provide decent meals for our children, when top class restaurants only offer junk food as an option to them when they’re in a restaurant? Isn’t that what McDonalds and Burger King are for?
