'Focusing on Fresh Food '

Food Focus

The philosophy of Brookwood is to provide a “food standard that can’t be bettered”. This, in Brookwood, means using fresh ingredients and introducing modern food styles using traditional methods.

We pride ourselves as a contract caterer that does not use convenience foods within the production of our menus. We believe that freshly cooked, locally sourced produce is the best that we can give the children of today, and we know that it is this style of menu that parents are keen to see their children offered and that the children themselves enjoy.

We talk food right from the recruitment and selection, induction training, site visits and management meetings. We do this because we consider our food quality is the reason for our success. We love great food and want to see standards every day of which we can be proud.

It will come as no surprise that we were the winner of the British Hospitality Association Food Award in 2007 for the lead we have taken in using fresh food produce, sourced where possible from local suppliers. The BHA particularly praised us, for our work in encouraging children to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day through “Gimme 5”, part of our “Eating for Life” programme.

What’s In Our Food

Our menu choice provides the right balance of current eating trends, good nutritionally balanced, and tasty home-cooked food, whilst reflecting the changing seasons. We do not use any nut or nut-based products in the production of our menus. We do not purchase GMO based foods or use foods with artificial colourings or flavourings. We do not use salt in our cooking processes; instead we use herbs to add flavour and depth to our food. Many of the herbs used are grown by the children at school in a Brookwood garden using composted food waste made from a Brookwood wormery.

Nutrition

Our menus are designed to be nutritionally balanced, whilst offering a wide-choice for all tastes. We aim to produce home-cooked items, without the use of salt, only frying food on rare occasions and using cooking methods to retain maximum nutritional value.

Food Allergies and Dietetic Support

As part of our on-going training and development programme, all Brookwood Chefs and Catering Managers receive training in “Special Diets and Food Allergies”. This course provides an understanding of special dietary needs and is provided by either our Executive Development Chef or our Nutritionist.  Both of whom can also be called upon for additional guidance should the need arise.

Local Food

At Brookwood, we go to great lengths to ensure we carefully select our produce taking into account location and whether the food is organically grown or Fairtrade. Each site is provided with a ‘what’s in season calendar’ to assist buying locally sourced products.

Click here to see how we source local food on Brookwood TV.