School meals

Currently, all pupils at Castle Hill Infant School are entitled to a free school meal as part of Universal Infant Free School Meals.  ALL of our pupils have a hot meal at lunchtime, we are packed lunch free!!  Pabulum can meet children's medical dietary requirements, please discuss this with the office.

A message from Pabulum

A huge welcome from your new catering team at Pabulum; we are delighted to be providing fresh, nutritious, honestly good food to your children at Castle Hill Infant School.

Our vision is to be at the forefront of improving the next generation’s health and well-being, by shaping the food culture in education that inspires a passion and love of fresh food - without compromise.

During the break and at the start of the new term, the school’s catering team will undergo a number of induction courses, learning to cook the Pabulum way, using fresh products. They will be supported by a team of dedicated, highly skilled, Training & Development Chefs. Pabulum will be attending parents evenings so that you can taste the food, ask questions and learn more about us. We intend to become part of the fabric of the school; working in partnership to support the curriculum wherever it involves health and well-being.

Our Menu

A choice of 3 main meals each day:

Meat/fish, vegetarian/vegan & jacket potato or pasta

Accompanying vegetable and carbohydrate choices

A choice of 8 ‘help yourself’ salads

A choice of 2 freshly baked breads

A choice of 3 puddings, fresh fruit platter, yoghurt or hot pudding with custard

Our Food

All our food is freshly prepared using seasonal produce from local suppliers. We always cook from scratch prioritising the incorporation of raw proteins, whole grain, fresh fruits and vegetables. We include hidden vegetables in our dishes, like beetroot in our chocolate brownie to incorporate additional vitamin C, fibre, manganese, potassium and iron. Beetroot is also a fantastic natural sweetener. We use pulses, beans, seeds and grains in as many dishes as we can because these are a great sources for iron, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins.

Allergens & Special Diets

Whilst the school will provide us with known dietary requirements, we will require you to fill out our Medical Diet Request Form so that we have an up-to-date record of any allergies. Once completed, please send this to: specialdiets@pabulum-catering.co.uk and visit the Special Diets page on our website where you can find further information on Special Diets.

Pabulums new ‘Allergy Awareness Menu’ excludes the named 14 EU allergens (apart from fish). It has been specially designed to mirror the main menu as far as possible and offers three different meal options per day. All pupils who must avoid any of the 14 EU allergens (apart from fish) will now be fed from this menu starting from January 2024. It is essential to communicate this to us as soon as possible. This can be done by completing the medical diet request form available from our website at www.pabulum-catering.co.uk.

*The named 14 EU allergens are celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soy beans, sulphur dioxide (or sulphites).

Taking Care of our Planet

We have several initiatives happening in the dining room that support sustainability, reducing our carbon footprint, and making a positive impact on the planet.

• We avoid single use plastics
• We have a no waste policy of fresh produce in the kitchens
• We promote minimal food wastage in the dining room through education
• Our cleaning chemicals are all supplied in concentrate form
• Our waste cooking oil is turned into biodiesel and used for fuel
• We involve the School Council in prompting initiatives within the dining room that will make a positive impact on the planet

The Children’s Dining Experience

Our industry leading Pabulum Dining Experience focuses on creating a social, family experience at lunchtimes promoting interaction between the children. This has a positive impact in the dining room and supports learning outcomes in the classroom. All the dining tables have tablecloths, cutlery holders, bread baskets, napkin holders alongside fresh herbs or flowers.