School’s lunch bunch get very own House of Munch

May 15 2009 by Richard Wilkins, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

School’s lunch bunch get very own House of Munch

A BRAND new option for school meals at Perth Grammar School, developed through consultation with pupils, is proving to be a real hit at lunchtimes.

The ‘House of Munch’ kiosk is offering diverse menus in the lunch hour and at breaks including fresh soups, baguettes, wraps and chilli, as well as fruit drinks, water and hot drinks. Pupils can pay cash or use the existing cashless catering system to pre-order their choices daily.

Perth Grammar School and the council carried out consultation on school meals with pupils in 2008, to develop ways to encourage youngsters to choose more healthy options at lunchtimes.

The results revealed that pupils wanted to spend their lunch break outside and would prefer a ‘grab and go’ service which reduced queuing.

It also highlighted that pupils recognised that some eating options outside the school gates did not generally offer healthier choices.

The ‘House of Munch’ has been set up adjacent to the new outdoor wet-weather shelter at the school. The kiosk was produced by a Scottish-based specialist manufacturer, and can be sited permanently or operate as a mobile facility. Pupils chose the name and colour of the kiosk and were involved in choosing the food selections available from it.

Lifelong Learning convener, Councillor Liz Grant said: “We want pupils to make healthy choices at lunchtime and breaks and recognise the benefits that this has for them.

“This project has been developed directly through consultation with the youngsters here at Perth Grammar, with the aim of giving them a sense of ownership for the ‘House of Munch’.’’