Following on from its 5-star Food Hygiene Rating after a recent impromptu inspection, Rydal Penrhos School 
was proud this week to be able to reassure parents of its close links with local suppliers.
With concerns about the quality of meat hitting the headlines, the school was able to give parents detailed information about the suppliers of food for all of its meals.
All of the fresh meat used at Rydal Penrhos is bought from I.T. Jones in Fynnongroew, Holywell, a well-known accredited butcher.
David Jones the owner, has a close working relationship with the school and can provide details of where every animal was farmed; he has to keep these details for his own traceability and all of his meat comes from the United Kingdom.
The school does not buy cooked meat, apart from canned corned beef and salami. All sliced meat such as beef, turkey and ham is cooked on site from fresh joints, and the school makes all of its own beef burgers, turkey burgers, lamb kebabs and southern fried chicken from fresh meat.
Julie Chmara, Domestic Bursar at Rydal Penrhos School, says “Meal times are a superb way of joining together to enjoy good quality food, cooked well, and supplied locally by trusted businesses.
Rydal Penrhos School is happy to buy our fresh foods from local suppliers, I.T. Jones for fresh meat, M. Hughes for fresh fruit and vegetables, Mermaid Seafood for fresh and smoked fish, G. Holley for dairy produce and Henllan for bakery goods.
We believe that the best way to serve healthy meals to pupils and staff is for the Catering team to have close relationships with our local suppliers.
This means we can visit the premises, enquire as to the source of the produce, and ensure the supplier has hygiene systems in place.
We do not serve processed meats, all our meat is delivered fresh and cooked on site whether it is for cottage pie, roast dinner or cooked meats for salads and sandwiches, and we are confident that this is the best policy for our School and all who eat here.”
The feedback from parents shows just how important this issue is – and how much the school’s freshly cooked meals are enjoyed by pupils.