Food & Drink Policy

Only staff who hold a ‘Food Hygiene Level 2’ certificate are allowed to prepare and serve food, following the Health & Hygiene code.

Before a child attends Clubland we obtain details of any special dietary, allergies, or religious requirements they may have regarding refreshments via the child’s registration form. This information is updated annually, and parents are requested to inform us immediately of any changes.

When preparing food, we ensure that the children & staff have washed their hands and have checked the allergy and dietary needs list. Children’s dietary needs and allergies are displayed in the kitchen area for staff to refer to easily when preparing and handling food.

We offer a ‘nut free zone’ to protect those with allergies.

Children are encouraged to prepare the snacks for themselves and others and follow basic hygiene rules under supervision.

Children are offered a light snack as soon as they arrive from school followed by a cracker/biscuit and selection of fruit at approximately 5pm. The timing of these snacks coincide with a drop in their sugar levels and leaves enough time between snack and tea-time at home.

The snack area is draped in a bright tablecloth and a selection of water, sugar free squash juice is available in the afternoon with the addition of orange juice (watered down) and milk in the morning. Children are seated together whilst having snacks as we try to maintain a social environment. A washing up bowl is placed on the table for children to dispose of dirty utensils and crockery, which is either washed in the dishwasher or with hot soapy water and air dried.

At mid-session snack, the children sit, and information/conversation is shared amongst the whole cohort. We use this gathering as a time to identify children who have shown positive behaviour towards others and dependent upon the setting they may choose this time to celebrate positive behaviour by giving out ‘stars’.

Children are encouraged to act as monitors to distribute the biscuit and fruit.

Fresh drinking water and squash is always available and children are encouraged to drink during the session and during snack times, to maintain hydration.

We offer healthy and nutritious food at snack times with the aim of providing the children with enough energy. We aim to vary food and introduce children to foods from different cultures by coinciding cookery activities to special days and festivals. A hot snack is available each day and the ‘snack for today’ is displayed in the setting for parent’s information.