At Crawley Ridge Junior School, we are pleased to be able to offer healthy daily menus.  We are one of the few schools in the area to offer an innovative and unique cook-to-order choice system.

Our meal service is run by Dolce.  The lunchtime service is provided by a working kitchen and all food is cooked on the premises.  Dolce is a UK school catering company providing meals to primary and secondary schools. Full of fresh ideas, Dolce revolutionises the midweek school meal from plate to dining space, providing healthy, nutritious dishes that are tailored to every taste. 

For further information on school meals, please visit https://www.dolce.co.uk/.

There is always a healthy sandwich option alongside the hot meal choices and, as we have often found, children will often try new things in school when eating with their peers which perhaps they previously have rejected.  In addition, parents can be guaranteed that their child will be having a healthy meal. Please discuss the food options with your child and select accordingly. It is important they know what has been selected for them to avoid being upset at lunchtime.

Lunchtime is supervised, and children are encouraged to eat all of their main course before tucking into a delicious dessert, fruit or cheese and biscuits.

In KS2 (Year 3 to 6), the cost of a school meal is £3.00. However, if you believe your child may be entitled to free school meals, please contact the school office, and we can make the appropriate eligibility checks.

All meals must be ordered on SchoolGrid.  We ask parents to order in advance to assist our catering team with ordering.  If your child is in Year 3 to 6, you must pay for the meal when the selection is made.  If your child is subsequently off school and this is reported by 9.45am, their meal account will be credited, and you will be able to use this credit next time you place an order.

Allergy Menus
If your child has a special dietary requirement, has a food allergy, or does not eat a particular food for religious or ethical reasons, please contact the School Office immediately.  It is important that you let the School Office know of any allergies, even if your child has a packed lunch every day, as your child's class may have a tasting session as part of the curriculum. You will be asked to put any dietary requirements in writing to the school. 

You will also need to ensure that your child's record on SchoolGrid is up-to-date with their allergy information as this is what will control what menu options your child will be able to order.  

Our catering team, Dolce, cater for 14 recognised food allergens: celery, crustaceans, dairy, egg, fish, gluten, lupin, molluscs, mustard, nut, peanut, sesame, soya, sulphites.  They also support vegetarian, vegan, pork and beef-free diets. For more information about the allergens contained in their menus, including a list of the 14 key allergens and the dishes they appear in, please visit Dolce's website, https://www.dolce.co.uk/ 

To guard against food allergies, we ask that children do not share food in school. 

How to Order a Meal Online

• Login to your School Grid account
• Ensure that allergen information is up-to-date
• Go to the 'Order Meals' section which can be found at the top of the screen 
• Click on the week you wish to order a meal and then select your child's meal choices for each day
• Once all choices are made, go to your basket and check out (if your child has Free School Meals, this step still needs to be completed, but you will not be charged)

If your child is in KS2 and you forget to order a meal for them, please ring the School Office before 9:30 am, as they will be able to manually add it for you. The cost of the meal will be charged to your account, if applicable, and you will need to log in to SchoolGrid to make the payment.  

Packed Lunch - Nut Free School
If your child does not want a school meal, you can provide them with a packed lunch.  Please ensure they know they have a packed lunch and that they bring it to school with them.  

We are a nut free school, and we have a number of children in school with serious nut allergies.  Severe allergic reactions result in anaphylaxis and can be fatal.  A person with an allergy does not have to eat nuts to have a severe reaction; this can be caused by surface contact and airborne particles.  With this in mind, we politely ask that no products containing nuts are eaten anywhere on the school site and packed lunches are nut free, e.g. no peanut butter sandwiches, chocolate spreads, some cereal bars, cakes and biscuits that contain nuts.  This list is not exhaustive, so please check the packaging of products closely before including them in your child's lunch box. 

Parents are also asked not to include sweets or fizzy drinks/squash in their child's packed lunch. 

Morning Snack
In KS2, children are no longer eligible for free fruit snacks. Therefore, we ask that your child brings in a snack of dried or fresh fruit, or raw vegetables, for their morning break. Please do not send biscuits, crisps or sweet treats.