It’s been a busy and exciting few weeks across our catering teams, with plenty to celebrate.
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting food-based initiatives that promote health, nutrition and wellbeing, we were delighted to once again partner with Norwich City Community Sports Foundation for our healthy eating programme, Active Canaries, in schools across Norfolk.
Working closely with the club’s first team chef, our menu development team created a series of themed dishes inspired by three City players and the foods that help power them on the pitch. On 19 March, children in participating schools enjoyed Grace Rigler’s katsu chicken curry, Jovon Makama’s loaded sweet potato wedges, and Vlad Kovačević’s apple and cinnamon crumble muffin.
Alongside the menu, pupils learned about nutrition and the role different foods play in supporting performance and wellbeing. To bring this to life at home, children received collectable recipe cards to recreate the dishes with their families, while the full collection is also available online. The Norwich City Community Sports Foundation also delivered a virtual assembly, encouraging pupils to get involved in a fun 50/50 class challenge.
We were also incredibly proud to see Nikki Barnard, Cook Manager at Queen’s Hill Primary School, represent us in the regional final of the School Chef of the Year (SCOTY). Competing within a budget of £1.75 per portion, Nikki created a menu designed to appeal to 11-year-olds, combining bold flavours with creativity. Her savoury offering featured a lemon and garlic mezze platter with couscous salad, homemade flatbread and roasted chickpeas, while desserts included Angel Delight-filled banana doughnuts and a butterscotch mousse with caramelised banana.
Explaining her inspiration, Nikki shared: “With a Lebanese dad, this is the style of food I grew up eating. I wanted to share those flavours in a way that children would enjoy. The savoury dish takes inspiration from takeaway favourites but reimagines them as a healthier ‘fake-away’. The doughnuts were inspired by seaside treats, with a twist—using 50% fruit and the classic banana and toffee combination.” While Nikki didn’t progress to the national finals this year, the judges praised her talent and strongly encouraged her to return—an achievement we’re incredibly proud of.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to launch our new Primary School Spring/Summer Menu this April. Featuring a variety of seasonal dishes made with locally sourced ingredients where possible, new additions include chicken tacos, Chinese-style plant balls, BBQ shredded chicken wraps, banana muffins, and a summer berry and apple slice served with Greek yogurt.
The team at Diss High School brought plenty of creativity to the table with their Easter treats in the final week of term. It’s not just schools getting into the spirit, our care residents will also be enjoying a special Easter menu, featuring roast lamb with all the trimmings, alongside a tempting selection of homemade cakes and bakes, including simnel cake, chocolate nests and traditional hot cross buns.
Best wishes,
Norse Group’s Catering Team
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