Freshly prepared food, using locally sourced ingredients.
Our experienced catering team serves hot lunches every day to all children from Nursery to Sixth Form, producing all food on site.
We are very lucky to have Thomas Franks as our in-house caterers. The team has a passion for excellent food, outstanding service and fresh thinking. They source the best fresh, local & regional, seasonal produce from family-owned catering specialists.
Pupils and parents frequently comment on the quality of the food we serve and pupils especially enjoy the kindness and thoughtfulness of the catering staff.
Our Dining Hall has been awarded 5* hygiene rating. We recently received a Bronze Food For Life Award from Thomas Franks Catering here at St Clare’s School.
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Nutritious and varied food
Healthy bodies are essential for a healthy mind.
Our termly menus are sent to parents one week in advance, via our parent app Cognita Connect. They are also published here on the website.
We offer a variety of meat and vegetarian options for lunch. Dessert options always include yoghurt, fresh fruit or low sugar cakes. Food is nutritious and varied to help children maintain attention in class and support their physical and mental development.
Our chef caters for vegetarians, vegans and children requiring special diets for specific medically proven conditions, and ensures our food respects a range of religions and cultures.
REAL-WORLD LEARNING
Connecting students with the food process.
Our ‘school garden’ has seen children planting and nurturing seeds and plants before getting to eat them.
Our Chef Manager, Sian Dalton, works with the children to show and explain how the vegetables and herbs they grow are used in the meals she prepares for them.
We seek to enhance the children’s understanding of where their food comes from, and of the benefits of a healthy and balanced diet and encourage the confidence to try new things and develop excellent table manners.
Festive Feasts
Supporting children in developing their culinary curiosity.
Our Chef Manager, Sian, and her talented team regularly put on special themed menus.
The past year has seen pupils enjoy themes ranging from the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, Elvis, Chinese New Year, Easter, Halloween, Children in Need, and two weeks of Christmas themed menus before the end of term with a spectacularly magical Elf the Movie lunch.
It was almost impossible at Christmas to keep up with all the mouth-watering photos and videos of our wonderful 5* rated Thomas Franks catering team’s festive feasts but we have put a selection of photos in the gallery to the side, for you to enjoy.
Food Allergies
There is a triple checking system in place for Nursery and Prep School pupils with special diets.
Our robust checking system is in place to ensure that we cater for all pupils safely. We ask our Senior School and Sixth Form students with special diets to liaise directly with our Chef Manager, Sian Dalton, and her Thomas Franks staff during lunchtime, to ensure their needs are met.
We cater for pupils with food allergies from Nursery through to Sixth Form. Relevant information from the student’s medical consultant, general practitioner or registered dietitian will need to be provided to us, to ensure that Thomas Franks can safely meet the needs of the child.
Due to the increasing prevalence of nut intolerances, no products that contain nuts or traces of nut oils are used on the school kitchen or permitted on the premises.
If you have any questions regarding the options available, please email Sian via the link below and she will be happy to help.
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