SALES have tripled at The Canobolas Rural Technology High School canteen since a new chef has taken over and introduced a focus on healthy eating.
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Canteen and catering manager Andrew Farley spent about two years as a sous chef at Orange restaurant Lolli Redini and has taken a cafe approach to food options and service at the canteen.
“I was just ready for a change and it was the right place, right time,” Mr Farely said.
“I saw this job advertised and really thought I could make a difference re-educating children with good eating habits.”
Since starting the role seven weeks ago, Mr Farley is already seeing dramatic changes and said he had taken the canteen from making a loss to making a profit.
He said part of the success was making healthy options more affordable and including food usually aimed at adults. He said the students and staff were choosing those healthy options, including gluten-free and vegetarian options.
“A couple of weeks ago we sold 20 kilograms of fruit from a canteen that’s never sold fruit before, I was told the kids would never buy it,” Mr Farley said.
“The most popular food I’m doing at the moment would have to be the chicken burger, it’s so popular I can’t keep up with it.”
The burger, which is grilled chicken and salad on a Turkish roll, is now four times more popular than the old canteen staple, the meat pie.
Principal Chad Bliss said the school was fortunate that he P and C was able to employ Mr Farley.
“It’s essential, not only to our need to be meeting Department of Education policy ... it sets our kids up early in life to understand healthy and nutritious food,” Mr Bliss said.
“It’s good food cooked by someone from a restaurant-standard industry knowledge.
“I’m really excited by some of the foods he’s been able to make, he’s got different pastas and different salads, chicken burgers and vegetarian mushroom burgers ... there’s gluten-free options every day.”
tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au