Oasis contributes to national discussion on the future of school food

Oasis Community Learning's National Catering Manager, Gillian Edwards, recently joined education catering leaders, nutrition experts, local authorities and suppliers at a national roundtable discussing the government's proposed new School Food Standards. 

The event, organised by German combi-oven manufacturer Rational, brought together representatives from across the school food sector to explore how schools can successfully adapt to the most significant update to school food standards since 2015, while continuing to provide nutritious and appealing meals for children. 

A key theme throughout the discussion was the importance of taking a whole-school approach to food, recognising the role it plays in children's health, wellbeing and educational outcomes. During the roundtable, Gillian Edwards highlighted the vital role school food plays in supporting young people: 

"Food underpins everything else. It's linked to physical health, mental wellbeing, learning and participation. We need to make sure school food is viewed as a priority and not just something that happens at lunchtime." 

The discussion explored how schools, catering providers, parents, suppliers and policymakers can work together to ensure that healthier food choices remain attractive and accessible for pupils. 

Across Oasis, we are committed to ensuring every child can access healthy, nutritious and tasty meals that set them up for a full day of learning. This commitment, along with our fruitful partnership with our catering partner Sodexo, was also recently highlighted on BBC News, as part of a wider discussion around the Government’s newly release School Food Standards guidance. 

The event also focused on the opportunities presented by innovation and technology within school catering, alongside wider conversations about funding, implementation and pupil engagement. 

We're incredibly proud to see Gillian share her expertise and contribute to the national conversation around school food and championing the importance of ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals that support learning and wellbeing. 

Read the full article here: https://www.cateringinsight.com/industry-voices-debate-future-of-school-kitchens-ahead-of-changes-to-standards/.