Leeds pupils spice up lunchtime with Tour de Yorkshire themed meal

Pupils from a Leeds special school will be setting taste buds tingling at schools across the city, after winning a competition to design a Tour de Yorkshire themed school lunch.

The competition, organised by Leeds City Council’s catering service ‘Catering Leeds’ was run across all primary schools and Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres, who were asked to design the specially themed menu to be served in April to coincide with the start of the Tour de Yorkshire 2017.

The competition was designed not only to encourage more children to enjoy a healthy cooked school lunch but also to help promote physical activity, road safety and active travel within schools and has been supported by the council’s Influencing Travel Behaviour team and Welcome to Yorkshire.

The winning menu was designed by Sky Blue Class at West SILC Milestone (Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre) and will be served as the April themed menu at all primary schools which are catered for by Catering Leeds, during the week commencing April 24.

As well as seeing their menu served across the city, Sky Blue Class received vouchers to spend on school equipment plus the whole school will get a bespoke active travel day delivered by the council’s Influencing Travel Behaviour team featuring Bikeability training, scooter skills and roller bikes –tailored for the winning school.

Sky Blue Class were presented with a certificate at a special celebration assembly last week to award the winning class with their prizes and congratulate them on bringing the fantastic fun bike day to their school.

Their imaginative winning menu consisted of:

• Winner winner chicken dinner
• A ‘wheelie’ good cheese pizza
• Vegetable ‘medal’y
• Pasta ‘finish line’
• Apple pie-cycle

Jo Purdie Cole Sky Blue Class teacher said:

“Sky Blue worked really well together with some support on their menu idea, we thought about their favourite foods to eat at lunch and how we could make it into a menu for everyone to enjoy.”

Second Prize went to Class 3W (by Sachin Panesar) at Carr Manor Primary, and third prize went to Class 2 at Westwood Primary who also both won vouchers to spend on school equipment, and a special mention for impressive artwork goes to Year 4 at St Anthony’s Catholic School, Beeston.

Councillor Lisa Mulherin executive member for children and families said:

“Well done to Sky Blue Class for such an innovative and exciting menu. I’m sure children across the city will really enjoy their cycling themed meals, when the Tour de Yorkshire returns to the county in April. This competition encouraged pupils to work together in class to consider what makes a healthy meal as well as being imaginative and creative.”

Councillor James Lewis executive member for resources and strategy said:

“Competitions like this are a fantastic way of increasing pupils’ interest and awareness in healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. Nutrition plays a vital role in young people’s well-being and how they perform at school. The meals provided by Catering Leeds meet the strict guidelines set out by the government as well as providing variety, enjoyment and value for money.”

Pupils were asked to work together in their class to design a Tour de Yorkshire themed menu and design a poster to go with it. The menu was to include all of the following:

- A main meat or fish dish

- A main vegetarian dish

- A vegetable or salad dish

- A carbohydrate side e.g. potato, pasta, rice etc.

- A dessert

Menus were judged on being fun and creative but also on being healthy and appealing to all.