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The plan for school reopenings across the UK has been set out, but it’s clear these reopenings won’t be anything like what we once knew, at least not for a while. The recent roadmap outline from the government gives schools time frames to work with to ensure they are safe and ready to go, but there’s still a lot to think about.
When it comes to school catering, what exactly does the new normal look like and how can school caterers put the right measures into place to not only cater for the children and staff at lunch times, but to ensure procedures are safe and risk free at all times?
What happened during UK lockdowns?
Even though many schools weren’t serving school meals as normal, many still worked hard to provide lunches for those still in school and to support vulnerable children in providing free school meals. It was essential that schools put extra measures in place to support hand hygiene and sanitation practices to prevent any risk of infection as COVID cases began to rise once again.
However, as numbers in cases are falling, the UK is planning full school reopenings over the coming months. Is your school fully prepared with all the necessary equipment in place? Do you have plans for your school kitchen?
How can school caterers look ahead and prepare for reopening?
Upon reopening, there will be measures in place to ensure social distancing where possible at one of the busiest parts of the day. Many school catering staff are looking at preparing meals in advance that children can collect from a collection point at an allocated time, and ensuring children are appropriately distanced from others by eating their meals away from the hustle and bustle of the school dining hall.
Many schools are trying new approaches to school dining, and one of the best ways they’re moving forward is by offering a Grab & Go style lunch in an organised manner to not only keep lunch times stress free, but to ensure children can safely collect a pre-made lunch, with regular wipe downs after each group of children.
Not only are Grab & Go options convenient, but they can help to utilise the space in a dining hall and ensure temperatures of all food and drink are maintained and completely safe for consumption.
How Counterline can help in your school catering efforts
Here at Counterline, we’ve helped many catering establishments and schools to organise and grow their food and drink offering through our range of display units and retractable glass units. We want to do our part to help many more in the reopening process, creating safe ways for children and staff to dine that can be easily cleaned/disinfected regularly.
As well as to help in COVID-19 prevention, we also understand that healthy balanced eating should be promoted in the cafeteria. Cutting down on the junk food can make for a calmer more productive school. We also know that where there are many young people, safety around hot catering equipment is of the highest importance.
Our products get top marks wherever they happen to be. Our professional and supportive team can find a winning solution for all educational establishment needs with our products featuring in many UK schools, colleges and universities.
See our case studies in the education sector.
Get in touch with the Counterline team today to discuss your options
We’re the UK’s leading manufacturer of food and drink display units and customised counters, and we’re here to help your school catering staff prepare for a safe, organised and effective reopening.
For more information about how our products can help, get in touch with the Counterline team today by calling 0151 548 2211 or emailing us at enquiries@counterline.co.uk.
