Liam’s a good burger
Liam Hooker, 11, enjoys a free lunch at Coastal Taranaki School – and little of the food is going to waste.
A rural Taranaki school in the taxpayer-funded lunch scheme has found success by sticking with a local dairy.
Coastal Taranaki School teamed up with the Okato Four Square at the beginning of term 2 to provide school lunches as part of the Government’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako lunch programme.
Principal Scott Walden said, although the school was initially hesitant to join the scheme, the programme had been a massive success. Unlike at some schools around the country, the meals were a hit with students and there was little problem with lunches being uneaten.
‘‘That’s really not an issue because of the way we manage the attendance and the communications with the external provider,’’ he said.
The school has added pigs to their farm just in case waste is an issue, but is working with Four Square owners Wendy and Craig Fleming to provide meals that the year 1 to 13 students will eat.
‘‘There is the ability in the Ka Ora, Ka Ako plan to determine your menu, it’s not predetermined by the ministry,’’ Walden said.
‘‘And Wendy and Craig are constantly seeking feedback around the food.’’
The menus come with one main meat or vegetarian meal, a snack and a piece of fruit every day.
Yesterday, the students tucked into a bacon, egg and kumara rosti burger, apple crisps, and a mandarin, with 11-year-olds Lara Smith and Liam Hooker praising the meal.
‘‘It’s really good,’’ Lara said, ‘‘The best one yet.’’
The Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme was first rolled out to primary schools with high levels of need in 2019 and now 199,501 students in New Zealand get them. Last week, a Hamilton food rescue organisation Kaivolution, estimated there can be up to 1500 lunches left over from city schools each day from the programme.
Walden admitted the odd menu item didn’t always go down well with the younger students, but they always tried the food and anything left over would go to the pigs.
‘‘Consequently I saw a few tomatoes in the bushes as I was walking around the school on duty.’’
Walden’s advice to other school principals who wanted to opt into the scheme or were struggling with food waste was to stick with your local.
‘‘The options we were given as potential providers were all big commercial outfits,’’ he said.
‘‘A local provider with investment in the school and it’s community, where there is a good relationship and good communication, I think is really essential.’’
Wendy said working with the school to provide lunches for more than 500 students was going well.
‘‘It’s about feeding the community, keeping it simple and healthy,’’ she said.