At Marlborough House we firmly believe that our own army of school children and staff marches on its stomach and we have a deservedly fine reputation for our food.
Our Catering Manager designs a complete menu including breaks which is varied, balanced and interesting. We also know the origins of our food at MHS as fresh meat, bread, fruit, vegetables and dairy products are delivered daily to school by local suppliers.
All manner of special dietary requirements, including serious allergies, are handled efficiently and without fuss. The catering team provide great alternatives for those children unable to eat certain foods and they by no means miss out.
Our catering staff work extremely hard to ensure that food is not only healthy and safe but delicious too. It is certainly true that staff here don’t need to be persuaded to have ‘school lunches’ – after one lunch they’re usually hooked.
FOOD AT MARLBOROUGH HOUSE
At MHS we follow the guidelines set out in the Food for Schools Programme http://www.schoolfoodplan.com/. This plan is about good food and happiness. It is about the pleasures of growing, cooking and eating proper food. It is also about improving the academic performance of our children and the health of our nation.
We aim to provide balanced, nutritional meals and snacks for the children, including fresh fruit and vegetables with every meal. Morning and afternoon snacks are usually carbohydrate based to sustain the children through the next part of their day with the natural sweetness of fruits being used to reduce the amount of sugar in our sweet bakes whenever possible. Fruit is always available as a snack alternative.
Our lunchtime meal has a main and vegetarian option as well as a jacket potato as a further alternative. A mixed salad of cucumber, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes are on each table every day. There is also a salad bar option for Year 8 children where we have a variety of deli items and tasty salad accompaniments. Puddings will usually have a fruit base with fresh fruit and local yoghurt always available.
Children have the opportunity, once a term to vote on a new recipe, letting us know whether they enjoyed it or not. The pupil council is also a good opportunity for the children to provide us with valuable feedback
SAMPLE LUNCH MENU
Monday
Snack: Oatmeal flapjack
Lasagne
with broccoli & carrots
Mixed berries and ice cream
Tuesday
Snack: Cheese on toast
Moroccan lamb tagine
with couscous, green beans & baby sweetcorn
Toffee apple crumble with custard
Wednesday
Snack: Homemade sausage roll
Oven-roasted chicken with lemon & herb butter
with rice, mange tout & butternut squash
Fresh fruit salad with yoghurt
Thursday
Snack: Toasted bagel
Roast pork with apple sauce & gravy
with roast potatoes, savoy cabbage & cauliflower
Poached fruit with oat cookie
Friday
Snack: Toasted muffin
Oven-baked cod fillet
with sweet potato wedges & roasted mixed vegetables
Eton mess
Fresh fruit and yoghurt is available as an alternative to dessert every day.
A salad bar with choice of cold meats and fresh bread is offered as an alternative to the main course for senior children.
A vegetarian alternative is offered each day and we cater for children with special dietary requirements.
Where Our Food Comes From
We aim to use local suppliers at MHS in order to minimise our food miles and support local businesses. Here is some background information on our current suppliers:
Crouch Family butchers
This local butcher in Staplehurst supplies all our meat on a daily basis. Crouch butchers are a second generation family butchers with two other retail shops as well as the one in Staplehurst. They source meat from farms in Kent and Essex, with our beef, lamb, chicken, and pork being outdoor reared.
P.K. Produce
P.K. Produce is located in Biddenden and supply all our fruit, vegetables, and salad items on a daily basis. They go to the London markets each day as well as sourcing locally from Kent producers.
Hinxden Farm Dairy
Many of our dairy products come from Hinxden farm dairy in Benenden which has been dairy farming since 1930. They have a herd of 200 Guernsey and Holstein cattle producing milk, yoghurt, and cream, which are outdoors in the summer, and loose housed in winter.
Plaxtol Bakery
Plaxtol bakery are a second-generation Artisan bakery, located in Tonbridge and supply our cut bread, rolls and whole loaves.
AB Hollands
AB Hollands supply our Lion quality free-range eggs from their farm in Battle. They have a flock of approximately 20,000 free-range birds and have been egg producers for three generations.
Q Catering
Based in Sevenoaks Q Catering supply our ambient, frozen, and chilled products. They use local suppliers where possible including Kent crisps, Kentish oils, Solley’s Kentish Ice cream, and Canterbury Ashmore cheeses.
At lunch each day older pupils sit with the younger ones sharing their experiences and offering support and friendship. This reflects and contributes towards the strong family ethos of the school
ISI report
All around the school, out-of-doors during break times and in the school dining room at meal times, excellent positive inter-pupil relationships are clearly evident and relationships with staff are also strong
ISI Report