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Original poster

Any nutritionists or similar here? DD's nursery changing the way they feed them and I'm NOT happy... (and how does YOUR nursery do it?)

77 replies

CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:06

DD goes to a lovely little nursery, they have always had a chef on site who produces fresh cooked lunches for them every day, they have a good varied menu, use a lot of organic food, everyone very happy.

The owners have acquired 2 new nurseries in Guildford area (we are in London nr Richmond). They have decided to employ the chef they have now plus another and base them in Guildford in a bigger kitchen, then cook all the food there and transport to the nurseries in heated vans.

I am very miffed about this, surely the food will lose nutrients between Guildford and London. What if there is a traffic jam? It could be in there for hours. It can't be as good for them as cooking on site can it?

As she has a good hot lunch currently + light tea at nursery, I only give her a very light supper at home. Am tempted to say I will give her packed lunches if they persist with this approach and then give her a good fresh homecooked meal in the evening (she is picked up at 4pm so plenty of time)

Does anyone have any opinions on this? How do other nurseries do this?

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Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:07

There is a meeting re this tomorrow which I am going to so want to be armed with info btw

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Piffle · 05/04/2006 10:11

So long as they keep the food at correct temperatures and use the same godo ingredient sit should not suffer too much.
If they said they were suddenly going onto twizzlers and baked beans, then I'd be arsey :)

oliveoil · 05/04/2006 10:13

How far is Guildford from London? (northern monkey emoticon)

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:13

oh no they are keeping the quality of the food

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Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:13

About 30 miles

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Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:13

but along v busy roads

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oliveoil · 05/04/2006 10:14

So it could be an hour in the van, or more?

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:15

oh yes easily

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nailpolish · 05/04/2006 10:16

there are guidlelines for the temperature of food, they should have a special thermometer to check the temp of the food just before they serve it

Piffle · 05/04/2006 10:16

Are cooking it, cooling it quickly and reheating it on site? Or keeping it warm?
I'd be more worried about the latter, food safety and nutrition wise tbh

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:17

Yes I'm sure they will

What can they do if it has got too cold? Chuck it out, and then what? No lunch?

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oliveoil · 05/04/2006 10:17

I wouldn't say it was as good as on site no. BUT if you think of school dinners that are cooked on site, they are kept warm on hot plate things for a while aren't they?

More work for you as well if you have to cook at night.

What happened on the au pair anyway?

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:17

Transporting it hot in heated vans or some such thing

FFS she is only 3.6 too young for meals on wheels

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Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:17

We decided that we didn't want the disruption

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threebob · 05/04/2006 10:19

Ds's is transported cold and reheated at the nursery. I have no issues as he has a special diet and it would be a PITA for the cook to do a gluten free and another egg free, and one egg and dairy free etc. Much easier for a central kitchen to handle that.

nailpolish · 05/04/2006 10:19

in hospitals it takes ages to get from kitchen to ward and then the last person to get their dinner is unlucky cos its usually cold. most wards heat it up in the micro but im not sure if they are actually allowed to do this or not

the trolleys are heated like huge hostess trolleys

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:25

Yes but that is the nhs, we are paying a fortune to send her to nursery I don't see why we should suddenly have to put up with food that is not as fresh as it was

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oliveoil · 05/04/2006 10:31

Is there any consultation period or are they just telling you that this is how things are going to be.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:34

They started it last week and told us on the day

Angry

Hence meeting of peasant parents with pitchforks tomorrow

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moondog · 05/04/2006 10:42

I wouldn't worry.
If quality is the same then it should be fine.
I constantly reeat food I prepared earlier,and there are stringent rules re this.

(I am still mourning loss of sexy young French chef at my kids' nursery who was moonlighting from a swanky local hotel.It was quite something to slip into the kitchen pre work and ask (in French-my degree finally comes in useful!) what was on the menu that day. Now it is a rather functional woman who wears a lot of Argos bling and has an unhealthy dependency on catering sized tins of baked beans.)

Original poster
CountessDracula · 05/04/2006 10:47

hmmm

Well I still do

I need a nutritionist really. I want them to tell me it doesn't lose nutrients then I will be happier

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Piffle · 05/04/2006 10:49

Well you could argue the same about a packed lunch truly CD, if it sits about for a few hours from being made?

moondog · 05/04/2006 10:49

But they will tell you that!
Do you eat ready prepared stuff btw or give it to the children??

nailpolish · 05/04/2006 10:52

sorry, cd, thats not what i meant.

i meant in terms of guidelines for re-heating etc

Uwila · 05/04/2006 10:52

Gosh CD, I find myself agreeing with you all too often these days. This can not possibly enhance the quality of the food.

No doubt in my mind that this is a cost saving exercise and can offer no benefit to the children/parents. The food might be okay, but then I would wonder where else are they going to cut corners. And how will you know? I mean if your DD eats nasty cheapo tesco value fish fingers, are they going to tell you? I would say there is probably more to come on increasing the efficiency of this nursery. Additional nurseries have just been purchased, right? Somebody bought them to make money. And as one who works for an organisation which performs a biennial cost cutting/head rolling/profit enhancing ritual, well perhaps I'm a skeptic. But, I would take this as sign that profits have become more important than the children's health.

Are they passing the savings on to you in their new one kitchen serves all plan? Have your fees gone down?