Cristina is a seasoned nursery chef with ten years experience preparing nutritious and exciting food that children enjoy. She loves cooking and being inventive with food - enjoying the challenges involved in creating a balanced diet while remaining appetising and popular. Cristina also loves the child-centred environment and takes care to involve children in food choices wherever possible.
Andrew is a professional nursery caterer with experience in hospitality and corporate catering before entering childcare in 2015, and with us at Millies House since 2019. He is responsible for catering for two of our nurseries in the local area, so he’s busy and well organised. With two young children himself, he loves being around children and is popular with the children in the nursery. Known as ‘Chef Andrew’ he tries to make food educational and fun, and leads the ‘Great Millies Bakeoff’ every Friday with themed cooking and fresh food preparation activities.
‘Miss Pat’ has been with our Parsons Green nursery since 2010 and is a professionally trained chef highly experienced in catering for childcare. She is very popular with the children and her team, and has been nominated for the NMT Nursery Chef of the Year. Her ethos is healthy eating and in providing stimulating nutritious meals and snacks. She is actively involved in expanding children’s food horizons and normalising food from an early age. Pat loves taking part in themed classroom activities such as ‘fruit of the day’, special occasion menu days, and hands-on food preparation and cooking experience.
Julie is an experienced chef who has been catering in nurseries since 2014 and with us at Woodlands Avenue since 2018. She works closely with the team and children to create seasonal menus that cater to each child’s dietary requirements and ensure healthy nourishing meals. She has strong bonds with the children and takes an active role in educational sessions designed to engage children with food sources, nutrition and cooking.
Children start learning about food at a very early age. The messages they receive during this time lay the foundations for the choices they make about food as they move up to school and beyond.
We actively teach children about nutrition, to eat well and make healthy choices. This sets the foundation for their future health and well being.
We operate a no sugar and no salt policy. We follow all the government standards to ensure healthy, nutritious meals.
These guidelines are used to prepare, plan and cook the children healthy and balanced menus.
The nutrient and food based government standards aim to make the food offered healthier by:
There are four main groups which contain guidelines that we follow; the main groups are below but there are also other guidelines which intertwine these groups.