The annual Public Sector Catering awards celebrate the individuals, teams and organisations making an outstanding contribution across the sector, recognising excellence, innovation, leadership and dedication in public sector catering.
The Food Hour pilot stands as a masterclass in multi-agency collaboration, representing a visionary leap forward for public sector catering.
Recognising that the benefits of holiday enrichment were needed year-round, the partners have crafted a term-time provision that ensures every child spends at least one hour a day ‘with food’ - sharing nutritious meals, learning about sustenance, and developing through food-based education.
In an era where the rollout of the Welsh Government’s Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) is complete, the Food Hour provides the essential ‘connective tissue’ required to maximise uptake.
By transforming school dining from a mere service into a core educational pillar, the programme fosters ‘Food Citizens’ across six Cardiff primary schools.
This is not merely about feeding children; it is about a whole-school approach that utilises pupil voice, direct classroom teaching, and after-school cooking clubs to embed healthy habits for life.
The programme’s brilliance lies in its professional rigour, underpinned by accredited Level 2 Community Food and Nutrition Skills training. This empowers catering and school staff to become confident advocates for the Eatwell Guide, ensuring that nutritional messages are consistent from the classroom to the canteen.
The bespoke toolkit is a triumph of design, aligning seamlessly with the new Curriculum for Wales while minimising the burden on school resources. From sustainability and growing to the Comparison Challenge - where pupils witness the superior nutritional profile of school meals over convenience options—the activities are diverse, practical, and fun.
The impact of this work has already resonated at the highest levels of Government. Pupils have demonstrated their learning to the First Minister and the Future Generations Commissioner at the Senedd, proving that when children understand their food, they become the best ambassadors for the service.
Beyond the school gates, the Home Recipe Challenge has successfully dismantled barriers to parental engagement. By providing families with recipe bags to cook together, the initiative has boosted parental confidence in budgeting and healthy snack preparation, fostering a genuine community connection.
Evaluation data confirms the pilot’s resounding success: staff report increased confidence, pupils are enthusiastically trying new foods, and, crucially, school meal uptake is on the rise.
By bridging the gap between dietetics, education, and catering, the Food Hour pilot has created a scalable, sustainable model for the future. It is a shining example of how public sector caterers can lead the charge in improving the health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes of the next generation, making it a truly deserving recipient of this recognition.
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