We've been awarded!
We’re delighted to let you know that Bury School Catering have recently been awarded both the Food for Life Served Here award at silver level and the Green Kitchen Standard from the Soil Association. Visit this page for more information about our awards.
Menus from April to October 2024 (Spring/Summer menu)
Please note we also have gluten free, dairy free and vegan menus and we have carbohydrate count information for diabetics.
Primary school menu for Spring/Summer 2024 (including gluten free, dairy free and vegan)
(These PDFs are not fully accessible and may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. See: Accessible documents).
Certificated Halal meat is available in most schools where there is a requirement. Copies of certificates are available on request.
Switch to school lunches and save
With food inflation running at 50% on some retail products a packed lunch costs more than a Bury Catering school lunch.
Switch to a school lunch and save.
A Bury Catering school meal is also:
- Better nutritionally than a typical packed lunch
- Tummy filling with 2 courses, 2 sides and drinks
- Tasty
- Varied & interesting
- What children want to eat
- Fun
- Planet friendly
- Supports special and multicultural diets
- Completely nut free and allergen safe
- Supports social skills
To switch, speak with your child’s school office team.
Costs
Primary paid school meals cost £2.60 from September 2024 or £13.00 a week.
If you have any payment queries, please contact your school office.
Value for Money
With Bury Catering, children get two courses, two sides and a drink for the price of a school meal. Where else can you get that value for a guaranteed healthy meal?
- Our main courses each day include 3-4 choices, unless it's a small school or the school has asked for less
- We always provide vegetarian, jacket potato and sandwich options
- We provide a meal suitable for Muslim children every day in every school
- We have a vegan, gluten free and dairy free choice too and provide other special diets when requested in advance. All special diets are provided in line with allergen legislation
- We have a formal allergen process which is available on request
- Our desserts each day include 3 choices (a tasty main dessert, fruit & organic yoghurt) and all our desserts are vegetarian
Healthy food
We comply with the mandatory School Food Standards from the Department for Education regarding nutrition in children's diets.
All our Primary schools have achieved 'Excellent' in the 'Greater Manchester Healthier Catering Award'.
Children can choose up to 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. The salad bar helps with this but one dessert is always fruit and another dessert has fruit in it most of the week, plus there is always one hot vegetable choice each day.
We work closely with NHS nutritionists to develop our carb counts for diabetic children.
We steam, bake, roast using combination ovens in the main. We do not fry and many of our kitchens have had the fryers removed.
We do not add salt or saturated fat when cooking and our desserts are reduced sugar.
Catering for special diets and allergies
Our management team are trained to Highfield Level 3 Allergen Management, and we have a process for children with special dietary needs.
As well as our main menu we also have full vegan, dairy free and gluten free menu cycles. We have carb counts available for diabetics created by an NHS dietician from the Royal Oldham Hospital.
We do not serve foods containing nuts or traces of nuts. All Special Diets are provided in line with Allergen legislation. We have a formal allergen process which is available on request. Please contact us if your child has any special dietary requirements. We would prefer 2-4 weeks notice.
Staff
All our Kitchen Supervisors are craft trained and can conduct further development through Apprenticeships.
Our staff are friendly, focused on giving your child their first choice and an enjoyable meal experience. They are paid a Real Living Wage and have a quality range of benefits including a Greater Manchester Pension which reduces staff turnover and maximises the benefit of training.
Cleanliness
Our kitchens achieve 5 stars from Environmental Health, and they are monitored regularly by the Catering Management Team.
Special days
We carry out special days to add a bit of fun to the school dining experience and to encourage pupils to try school meals. A few examples of past lunches are below.
Social Media
Please follow Facebook - Schools Catering Service – Bury Council
Nutrition
Over 16,000 children in Bury eat a healthy and nutritious school lunch every school day.
We provide meals in accordance with government's School Food Standards (nutritional guidelines). We monitor our lunches regularly to ensure they are of the correct quality standard and portion size.
School Food Standards are intended to help children develop healthy eating habits and ensure that that they get the energy and nutrition they need across the whole school day. They place an emphasis on providing a wide range of foods across the week.
(This PDF is not fully accessible and may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. See: Accessible documents)
Contact Bury Catering
Telephone: 0161 253 5710.
Email: catering@bury.gov.uk.
Please be aware that we have a minimum office staff available in the school holidays.