Our Food

"An Apple a day keeps the doctor away"

At Great Wood Farm Early Years Centre we are committed to providing children with nutritious and balanced meals.  

Ofsted commented in our latest inspection "Staff promote healthy lifestyles through the well-balanced and nutritious meals provided and the many opportunities offered to be active."

The Directors and staff will make every effort to ensure that food and drink is safely prepared and we are sensitive to the dietary, religious and cultural requirements of all the children.

All meals are prepared in our kitchen by our qualified chefs avoiding convenience and processed products and giving genetically modified foods and additives a wide berth.  We offer fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables on a daily basis and where possible source from our large vegetable patch and orchard. All ages from Toddlers, through to Kindergarten and Rangers help to grow vegetables in our vegetable patch.  They sow seeds, water plants, weed, and harvest crops, witnessing the growing cycle and developing their knowledge and understanding of the world.

Meals are provided as part of the fees at Great Wood Farm Early Years Centre for all children. If you only attend for EYE sessions meals and snacks are included as part of our Additional Service Charges. 

At breakfast children can enjoy a variety of cereals, toast and fruit. At lunchtime we offer a nutritious hot lunch incorporating a wide variety of dishes for example, chilli con carne, roast turkey and sausage cobbler. Tea time includes a range of foods such as; sandwiches, pasta, baked beans, toast, fruit and homemade cakes.

Snacks are given to children over 9 months mid morning and mid afternoon.  A variety of foods are offered including fresh fruit, dried fruit, toast, bread sticks, rice cakes and crumpets.  A sample menu can be downloaded on the left side of this page.

The EYC ensures fresh drinking water is available at all times. Water is offered at meal times. Water and milk is offered at snack and at breakfast. For children who drink milk we provide semi – skimmed milk for over 2’s and full fat milk for under 2’s.

We cater for special dietary requirements and continuously liaise with parents regarding their child's diet, especially babies during the weaning process.  Parents are recommended to send in breast milk which we will keep in the fridge or measured out milk powder which we will make up when required.