Food for Life Soil Association
Food & Nutrition at Toad Hall Nursery
We believe that nutritious meals play a critical role in the development and growth of children.
So, every Toad Hall Nursery has its very own onsite Chef and kitchen team who prepare and cook meals each day for the children using fresh and high quality ingredients. Our commitment is not to just provide nutritious meals, but a culinary journey that supports the knowledge and wellbeing of your little ones.
All our meals, snacks and drinks are included in our fees.
Our menus
To ensure the children are served balanced meals, we have developed healthy eating menus and recipes that specifically cater for ages 0-5 years. These carefully crafted menus are approved by our Food for Life Action for Children accredited nutritionist to ensure they meet the highest standards.
Our menus take into consideration different cultural backgrounds and cater for different diets and specific dietary requirements.
Our nurseries are currently enjoying our Winter Menu, perfect for the shorter and colder days. It includes hearty, warming dishes such as Fish Pie with Gnocchi and Greens, finishing with Mixed Berry Crumble.
Where our ingredients come from
To maintain quality, we source all our food from one trusted supplier. Creed ensures that the ingredients we use are sustainably sourced and Red Tractor meat certified, covering the standards for animal welfare together with the safety, traceability, and environmental impacts.
Here are just a few of Creed's accreditations:
Rainforest Alliance Certified
RSPCA Assured
Red Tractor Certified Standards
Certified Sustainable Seafood MSC
Learning about food
We take a 360-degree approach to food and nutrition at our nurseries, so as well as providing freshly prepared meals, we also teach the children all about nutrition and the importance of healthy eating. Through regular cooking and growing activities, our children have fun learning all about where food comes from, its benefits, and how to make it into a delicious dish.
Beef and Butternut Stew with Mash
Serves 5
This hearty and nutritious dish is packed with tender beef, sweet butternut squash, and a rich, flavourful sauce. Served with creamy mashed potatoes, it’s a comforting meal that provides essential nutrients to support healthy development.
Ingredients
- 850g braising steak, diced
- 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
- 1 courgette, diced
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
- 500ml water
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp thyme
- 400g potatoes
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 140 °C, 275°F or Gas 1.
2. Heat the oil in a casserole dish, coat the meat with flour and brown in the hot oil. Remove the meat to a plate.
3. Fry the onions in the casserole and when they are soft add all the other vegetables.
4. Put the meat back into the casserole; add the water, tomato puree and herbs.
5. Cover with tight lid and cook in the oven for 2 ½ hours until the meat is tender.
6. Cook the potatoes in boiling water and mash with butter.
