Snapdragons' Mary Llewellin
Food is not just fuel for our bodies, but for our relationships too. The importance we place on the act of sharing food can be traced in the history of our language. The word 'companion' is derived from two Latin words: 'com', meaning with, and 'panis', which is bread, so your friend or companion is someone you share your bread with.
As a new parent, the act of feeding your child is the first and most important role you take on. Instinctively, we hold and feed our newborn babies and the physical contact and pleasure of providing for this vulnerable new person forges an unshakeable bond. When children come to our nurseries, we adopt this aspect of their care and we should do so with sensitivity and respect for parental feelings.
COMMUNICATION
The first way we can do this is by listening. When children first start at nursery, a clear conversation with parents about dietary needs to take place and should obviously be respected. The second way is to provide parents with information about how we feed their children.
At Snapdragons, we display our menus on our website and on a nutritional information board, which also features a food provenance map, and a list of foods in season. We also invite parents to stay for mealtimes during settling-in visits, so that they know where their child will be eating and can understand the mealtime routines at nursery.
Without doubt, though, the best way we have found to show the care put into children's food and to forge a true partnership with parents is to feed parents at every opportunity.
PARENTS' EVENINGS
Providing a few samples from the season's menu at your parents' evening is a great way to showcase your meals. We try to give full descriptions of our dishes on the menus, but there is nothing like tasting the actual food.
We regularly have parents comment that they would like to come to nursery too after tasting a few samples of nursery chef Raquel's signature dishes. And, of course, chatting over a buffet is a great way to turn a professional relationship between parents and carers into something more and for parents to meet each other and begin to feel part of the Snapdragons family.
CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES
Then there are the celebrations and there are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to join together and share another feast.
To celebrate Mother's Day in March, the mothers at Snapdragons Keynsham were treated to an amazing Ritz-style afternoon tea, mostly made by Raquel (who is a trained patisserie chef), but also by the children. Recently, the dads were delighted to be offered a hot bacon sandwich, made with local Newton Farm bacon, when they dropped off their children on the Friday before Father's Day.
Now we are in summertime, we will be entertaining parents, grandparents and siblings at graduations, sports days and leavers' parties across the Snapdragons group. All these gatherings will feature food to fuel the festivities, whether it be traditional picnic food, afternoon teas or barbecues.
SWEET CHARITY
Naturally, when we have invited parents to join us for events like those described we wouldn't dream of asking them to pay for food, but we also do a lot of charity fundraising when we have found parents are happy to contribute.
Every two months at Snapdragons Keynsham, we put on a charity takeaway; so far we have featured Indian, Chinese, tapas and, the most popular by far, Thai cuisine. Parents pre-order their meals and pick up when they collect their children, and the meals are suitable for the whole family. All the profits go to charity and last year we raised about £1,500 for a local children's hospice.
Twice a year we organise large events for all eight Snapdragons nurseries to attend together - a Winter Wonderland and a summer festival, Chillfest. These are partly in aid of charity, but are also fun social occasions and the food always draws the crowds.
At Chillfest this year the menu featured home-made fish fingers, roasted ratatouille with feta, Newton Farm sausages and Raquel's delicious chicken satay, nutless, of course (see recipe), all offered with salads and wraps or buns.
For us at Snapdragons, bonding over shared meals has proved to be the best way to create a feeling of community, or even a second family, with our children, parents and staff. If you are proud of your food, it is natural to want to share it and the acts of feeding others, or being fed, promote positive relationships and, yes, companionship - so that is why we can't resist any opportunity to break bread with our parents.
RAQUEL'S SECRET SATAY RECIPE
I have tried many times to get Raquel to divulge the secret to her delicious chicken satay sticks and finally she has relented. Quantities are really down to personal taste, but this is the general idea.
INGREDIENTS
- Organic or free-range chicken, cut into strips (a mix of thigh and breast works well)
- Mild curry powder
- Turmeric
- A touch of unrefined brown sugar
- A pinch of salt (leave out for very young children)
- A good glug of oil
METHOD
- Combine everything well and leave to marinate in a bowl sealed with clingfilm, or a Tupperware container, for at least 24 hours in the fridge.
- Thread the chicken strips onto satay sticks by folding each back and forth into 'S' shapes. Retain the marinade.
- Barbecue, using the marinade to baste during the cooking.
- Serve with shredded lettuce or cabbage in pitta or a wrap.
Sauce
For a good sauce to go with it, mix together:
- mayonnaise
- finely chopped sweet gherkins
- finely chopped tomatoes (peeled and de-seeded)
- curry powder.
Serve the sauce in a bowl for those who want it.
Mary Llewellin is operations manager for Snapdragons. Snapdragons Keynsham has the Food For Life Partnership Gold Catering Mark, a Children's Food Trust Award, is accredited by the Vegetarian Society and was winner of the Nursery World Nursery Food Award in 2012 and 2014. See www.snapdragonsnursery.com.
