Halal hotpot goes down a treat in Bradford schools

guardian.co.uk 15th August 2006
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David Brill

Muslim schoolchildren in Bradford can finally tuck into a Lancashire hotpot for lunch after eight classic English dishes have been reinvented to include halal meat.

The move follows complaints from Muslim children in the city disgruntled with the lack of variation in their school menus.

"Part of our independent research showed a strong, clear message that the next generation of Muslims was looking for western dishes, but that were still halal," said Roger Sheard, the operations manager at Education Contract Services (ECS), the school caterer for Bradford council.

ECS has been serving halal alternatives on its menus for 20 years but has recently begun to rethink the nationality of the dishes it offers. "There was probably a perception from us that [the children] wanted traditional Asian curries, but that's not always the case. Abdul might want to sit next to Joe and have the same meal," Mr Sheard said.

The caterers conducted extensive research with both children and parents before launching a two-month trial across six primary schools in the area. The provisional menu featured such dishes as chicken pie, lasagne and lamb chilli.

"The response has been excellent," Mr Sheard said. "Only one of the dishes - the meat and potato pie - was not a favourite."

The new meals also meet the government's latest nutritional standards for school dinners, announced in May following the influential TV series by the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver condemning the quality of school catering. Gone from the menu are the infamous Turkey Twizzlers, replaced with high quality meat, fish and poultry. Pupils must also be served with at least two portions of fruit or vegetables with every meal.

The government has committed £220m towards rebuilding school kitchens and improving the quality of lunches. "The money's there, and it's up to schools and local authorities to use it," said Alan Johnson, the education secretary, in May.

Following the success of the halal hotpot trial, it is likely to be extended to other schools across Bradford in September.