School’s tuckshop overhaul

Wilsonton State School students embrace menu

WITH items including lasagne, honey soy stir-fry and apple donuts, students and their parents are going crazy for Wilsonton State School’s tuckshop menu.

In the space of just two terms, the tuckshop has been completely overhauled, raising its rating from one-star to five-stars.

The school tuckshop has now been recognised at the Queensland Association of Tuckshops Tuckshop of the Year awards taking out the Fresh Start Award as well as being named in Queensland’s top 10 tuckshops.

Convenor Ashley Woolley said the overhaul included new staff, volunteers and a whole new direction for the tuckshop.

“And it’s really worked, it’s really blossomed,” she said.

“We have got a great reputation and we are making money now, so we got a trophy recognising

❝So the kids think it’s amazing but it’s actually pretty good for them. — Ashley Woolley

that because it was a lot of hard work.

“We were losing money hand over fist. We lost quite a lot of money in the couple of years beforehand, and had a pretty bad reputation.”

The tuckhop previously sold almost entirely pre-packaged foods like dagwood dogs, mini pies and slushies, and now they make everything from scratch.

“We do a main meal sort of section and we do lots of snacks,” Ms Wooley said.

“We do something called an apple donut. Which sounds a bit silly but it’s just basically an apple muffin but its baked as a donut.

“So the kids think it’s amazing but it’s actually pretty good for them.”

Ms Wooley said the response from the school had been a lot better than they had expected.

“We expected a lot of backlash and a lot of resistance but it is just blossoming,” she said.

“We are getting bigger and better every day and they (students) are so excited, especially when we do a new menu.

“We do a new menu basically every term so they are really excited to see what it going to come out and experiment and taste all the new things.”

Ms Woolley said the tuckshop team was happy with what it had achieved.

“We are so proud as a team and we are looking at going even bigger and better next year.”

PHOTO: AMY LYNE TASTY TUCKSHOP: Whipping up some delicious food in the Wilsonton State School tuckshop are (from left) Sarah Bressington, Bernie Radcliffe, Melissa Woods, Nicole Donald, Ashley Woolley and Kate Forrester.