Sectors in Focus

SCHOOLS

Making school meals easy, regardless of pupil numbers

The provision of hot, healthy and nutritious meals to schoolchildren is of vital importance and Falcon equipment makes it easy to do this, day after day, pupil after pupil.

We have a longstanding reputation of supplying the perfect equipment to schools and our products can be found in school kitchens across the country. 

In the article below our chef offers some suggestions as to the equipment that schools should have to help them easily cater for the demand placed on them.

Essential Equipment – The Must Have’s:

Most school kitchens will typically need a combination of the following products in order to produce the variety of menu items demanded in a school environment: 

• Fryer - chips and battered products continue to be a staple part of the school menu 
• Oven Range / boiling top - all kitchens need the versatility of some kind of hob - main query is what type (open top, solid top, hotplate or induction)
• Steamer / Combination Oven - steaming is a hugely popular cooking method in school kitchens. Steamers used to be the appliance of choice but more and more schools installing the much more flexible (but more expensive) combi oven instead
• Convection Oven - every kitchen needs at least one oven, for general cooking, baking and regeneration. 

The combination of products, and the quantity and type of appliance will vary significantly with factors such as number of pupils, size of kitchen, size of menu, service times etc all being important considerations when selecting equipment. 

Traditionally, school kitchen equipment featured mostly gas appliances, but new builds have seen a distinctive turn towards electrical equipment, with energy efficient products such as induction hobs and combi ovens becoming integral parts of many new school kitchens. 

Consideration Points 

• Usable kitchen space
• Kitchen layout and design
• Energy source and capacity available for the equipment
• Menu offering
• Kitchen staffing, i.e. skills set, formally trained / qualified
• Amount of kitchen staff vs amount of pupils having to cater for
• Additional catering requirements; such as principal’s dinners, events or production / supply kitchen.
• Collective equipment budget

Other Equipment – The Nice to Have’s

These products are generally not an absolute necessity for most school kitchens but can be worth considering depending on the factors mentioned previously:

• Bratt pan
• Salamander Grill
• Secondary fryer (or allergen fryer)
• High Speed Oven
• Boiling Kettles

Which is best for my specific set up?

From Primary Schools to Secondary Schools and central production kitchens, there are distinctive differences in equipment requirements for each of these operations.

Although the emphasis is now firmly on producing healthy foods and steering away from anything deep fried, all 3 scenarios have essentially different style food offerings.
Therefore, the equipment required will also vary, not just in type, but also in the amount installed per kitchen.

Primary Schools will often also cater for nurseries. Portion sizes are smaller and the selection, although a balanced menu, will typically not be as vast and complicated as most Secondary Schools. 

Typical Kitchen Equipment Set-up

Whether you need to replace existing equipment, add extra capacity or completely redesign your kitchen, our comprehensive product portfolio, experienced and knowledgeable support team and understanding of the unique requirements of the school caterer makes us the ideal partner for all your catering equipment needs.

HELP ME WITH MY SCHOOL KITCHEN