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?)

[CountessDracula]

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?

I would say you are paying for a service that has been reduced.

I don't think there will be anything wrong with the reheated food, just that it is not as good as what you had before and therefore you should be informed BEFOREHAND or offered some sort of reduction in fees.

I'd rather my children ate a cooked from scratch stwe taht had been driven 60 miles than a fish finger 'cooked' in situ.

Wotcha CD!
I would be very pissed off as it's yet another step down from the excellent service this nursery used to offer. Your meals on wheels analogy sends a shudder down my spine! At the very least you should ask to be there at lunch to see what it's like if they've already started this service. I have no nutrition advice to offer, just don't see how it can be as good if it's travelled all that way while being kept warm. And who is going to dish it out/reheat it? Seems mad to me.
Otherwise be prepared to poke that pitchfork where it hurts!

It will arrive hot and be served out by the staff.

Yes I agree Bettys they do seem to be flagging

If it were not for the fact that dd was so happy there I would move her tbh. Am not convinced that they can provide the pre-school stuff she needs properly either as this was specifically criticised by OFSTED and she will be there until she is nearly 5 as she is sept baby.

Problem is I really don't want to uproot her. They are still very sweet and kind and loving and tbh at that age I think that is the most important thing

I wouldn't move her over this issue tbh but I wouldn't be happy.

'Sweet and kind and loving' is exactly why I allow my ds to stay in the baked bean loving place.

CD - I would feel very pissed off that a nursery would do this without any parent consultation, that said, loads of schools operate in this way (central kitchens, then transporting out).

I would be less worried about loss of nutrients tbh but would want assurance that they know what they're doing wrt health and safety (keeping food at correct temps, and what backup is if there was a problem)

Would let the food issue go after expressing my displeasure in a diplomatic way. But(Cynic aler), I would be on the lookout for staff turnover (and might even seek one of them out for future au pair / nanny position if this happens).

Are you not enrolling her in a nursery, say one attached to whatever primary you have in mind for her?

Ds stayed there until he was 5 & it didn't affect his performance one bit, even the difference between Letterland and Jolly Phonics. Your dd is v bright so won't have any problems.
Tbh honest if ds was still there I probably wouldn't move him either as he was so happy there, but that's no reason not to make clear how displeased you are.

No uwila the primary schools around here don't have nurseries or pre-schools

Staff turnover is low. Dd's keyworker has been there for 14 years or something. A lot of the others have been there 5yrs+

yes Bettys I had forgotten that

I wouldn't be as happy with this arrangement as I was with the original set up, but if she is happy there I wouldn't move her over it. But i would check the practicalities - it does sound a bit mad.
personally, i wouldn't worry about the pre-school business, either, if she is secure and happy there.
if ofsted criticied it, they will amost certainly improve, and having just watched DS settle into recption in January, I would sday that they work with kids assuming no headstart at all. tbh, I would have been happier if DS's nursery had felt less obliged to concentrate on ofsted-decreed 'education', and stuck with friendly, caring stimulating childcare!

CD, I meant that I would be on the lookout that staff may begin to turnover. If they start making more cuts (and I expect they will) they might find the staff isn't as happy, an staff might start to leave and that may effect the loving nurturing environment. In fact, at this meeting, I would probably ask what other changes are planned for the nursery.

This is how the lunches arrived at my primary school over 30 years ago

IMHO I would worry about the fact that they would be moving the chef to the new nursery and so be advertising "FRESHLY" cooked food to the new parents and so making the established parents be 2nd class iyswim

Sorry, I don't know about the nutrition but I agree with others I would not be happy either.

What is the reason chef can't do it the other way round apart from the other kitchen being bigger - is that true - is there a big size difference?

Or do a split week like mon tues wed in yours and thurs fri in the other nursery

I too would expect a reduction in fees for non freshly cooked food

I'm sure the nutritional difference is marginal. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Life too short etc

No the kitchen is off site I believe

Yes I will defo ask that question Uwila

Blu you are always the voice of reason. Have you considered a career in mediation?

AND, I would ask that minutes are drawn up and distributed to all parties present. Take roll and get names and contact details. If nothing else this will give you other parents to contact on any other issues that may arise.

ok Watt Tyler

Do I want to know (should I already know) who Watt Tyler is?

Ah, led the peasant revolt of 1381. How did I ever live without google?

Yes, CD, om MN I have been called 'so fair', 'sensible' and 'reasonable' - now ijust have to get a nice tweed skirt and brogues to match

Seriously - it's so hard to find a nursery you are confident that your child is 'at home' in and truly truly enjoys, that i wouldn't risk an 'out of the frying pan' leap. Not having had to remove DS from one nursery and into another.
I'm not a nutrtitionist, but i would have thought that the most likely nutritional loss with keeping food hot was vitamins. If you make sure that she has some fruit at breakfast, and some tomatoes and fruit for tea, and eats like a fruit-eating-thing at w/e, she will be fine, fine , fine.

But give the nursery a run for their money as Uwila suggests. Maybe ask that the children get plenty of raw veg sticks and fruit?

i would prefer to have ordinary, non-organic ingredients freshly cooked on-site than have organic stuff transported up the A3...