Responding to requests from our Cook for Success conferences the panel is a way of sharing ideas and issues with each other and the Trust.
Why the Trust is setting up the Cooks’ Panel
From October 2006 – May 2007, the School Food Trust held a series of Cook for Success conferences. While feedback was overwhelming positive, many of those who attended indicated that they would like to have a way of sharing their ideas and issues with each other and the Trust.
The aims of the Cooks’ Panel
The Cooks’ Panel aims to:
- help school cooks feel engaged and involved;
- highlight the key issues faced by school cooks in producing a healthy school meals service;
- identify the range of solutions school cooks have developed to tackle those key issues; and
- inform the Trust’s work on school meals.
Membership of the Cooks’ Panel
There are currently 347 members of the Cooks’ Panel. These include:
- school cooks, catering managers, kitchen assistants and chef’s;
- representatives from in-house, local authority and private catering providers; and
- representatives from across England.
The Trust would like as many school cooks as possible to be involved and will actively promote the Cooks’ Panel and its benefits through the Trust’s website and the Cook for Success Newsletter.
What is involved in being a member of the Cooks’ Panel
The School Food Trust will send all members a short survey once every term. Each survey will focus on a particular theme and should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. The Trust will ask that the survey is completed and returned to us within two weeks.
The Trust will gather all responses, either by email or post, and produce a short report. This report will highlight the key findings from the survey.
The Survey Schedule
The survey will be sent to members once a term, generally two weeks into the second half of each term. All members will be given two weeks to complete and return the survey. A reminder will be sent out after two weeks, with a further one week deadline. The report will be sent to all panel members and published on the Trust’s website two months after the survey was sent out.
Joining Instructions
The Trust is keen for the Cooks’ Panel to represent as wide a range of cooks as possible. Joining the panel is easy. If you are interested in joining the panel please complete a ‘Join the Panel’ form below and send to the Trust:
Cooks panel registration form
Click here to download (MS Word doc 46KB)
By Post (no need for a stamp!):
School Food Trust
FREEPOST
By Email:
info@childrensfoodtrust.org.uk
Promoting the Cooks’ Panel
A short article on the Cooks’ Panel will be included in each Cook for Success Newsletter, outlining the main findings from the previous survey, the theme of the next survey, when it will be sent out and an invitation to join the panel.
The School Food Cooks’ Panel FAQs
More questions about the School Food Cook’s panel are answered on our FAQ page here:
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/faqs/cookspanel
Sixth survey of school cooks: January 2011
Our latest survey went out to school cooks in January 2011 and we asked questions around the following topics:
- School management of food allergies
- Lets Get Cooking involvement
- Previous experience of working in a restaurant or hotel kitchen
- The predicted effects of the current financial climate on the cost of school food
- The impact of temperature on school dining
The full report, together with the key findings can be found here:
Sixth survey of school cooks: January 2011
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 680KB)
Fifth survey of school cooks: September 2010
Our 5th survey took place during September 2010. This time we asked the panel for their opinions on wider school issues in relation to food, including whole school food policies, and progress that had been made in providing menus that comply with the nutrition-based standards.
Please find the final report and together with key findings in the attached link.
Fifth survey of school cooks: September 2010
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 280KB)
Fourth survey of school cooks: February 2010
In February this year, we sent a survey to our cooks’ panel with questions covering the following topics:
- Training, and knowledge of the School FEAST network;
- Involvement in wider school activities;
- Waste management;
- Marketing of the school meal service.
The responses have been collated and the full report can be found here:
Fourth survey of school cooks: February 2010
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 266KB)
Third survey of school cooks: September 2009
On 30 September 2009, a short survey was sent to all members on the cooks’ panel asking for their opinions on communication by the Trust with school cooks and caterers, and on the progress that cooks consider is being made towards providing menus that comply with the final food-based and nutrition-based standards for school food. After collating and analysing all the results, we have produced a report detailing the findings.
Third survey of school cooks: September 2009
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 453KB)
Second survey of school cooks: March 2008
In March 2008, a short survey was sent to all members on the cooks’ panel asking for their opinions on the ‘training & qualifications’. After collating and analysing all the results, we have produced a report detailing the findings.
Second survey of school cooks: March 2008
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 472KB)
First survey of school cooks: January 2008
On 12 February 2010, the fourth survey was sent to all members on the cooks’ panel asking for their opinions on dealing with food waste, their engagement in wider school issues and a look again at training one year after the original questions were sent out. After collating and analysing all the results, we have produced a report detailing the findings.
First survey of school cooks: January 2008
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 422KB)
