I have enjoyed a very fulfilling last 3 weeks visiting local schools and cooking up locally produced meat with enthusiastic dinner ladies. My goal, very ambitious as usual, is to encourage a group of local meat producers to form a co-operative to supply the local schools and then help the dinner ladies increase the number of kids actually eating the meals.
Ever since Karen, from Samuel Whitbread school, emailed me complaining about the low quality of meat she was being supplied (click her to see more) and the high price she was paying, I have been motivated to do something more than just help Karen find better meat.
Maybe it was the memory of being constantly hungry for the six years I was at my first school, or being close to tears myself, seeing the dinner ladies crying happy tears watching their kids enjoying a freshly cooked meal on Jamie Oliver’s TV programme. Or maybe I realised someone has to do it and really it was a job for a super hero like Carrot Man.
Wow, Carrot Man how are you going to do it? Recruit Carrot girls of course!
Marilyn, Carrot Girl at Redbourne Upper School.

Well. We have always wanted to find a way of building a critical mass of business to encourage farmers to team up rather than compete. Ever since our first ‘cook up’ I now realise that not only do schools use a high volume of meat but they are also happy to pay a fair price. As long as we can get enough schools we can put together a cost effective delivery run. We will also have enough demand to make a co-operative an attractive proposition for local meat producers. A co-op to which they can commit a certain amount of their produce at a certain price and share in its success.
My strategy has been to contact the catering manager in each school that does not have a contract with Scolaresk, (unfortunately they have 180 schools contracted in Bedfordshire) and offer to repeat what I did at Karen’s school, cooking up some mince and doing a tasting of local sausages in the school canteen. The last 6 schools however, have had the added bonus of Carrot Man to raise awareness to the sausages. And the kids love the sausages, which is by no means guaranteed, when kids have been eating the average school sausage with only about 40% pork of which I would expect 20% to be fat a 75% pork sausage with only 10% fat is rather new and unusual.
Lisa, Carrot Girl at Sandy Upper School.

A great success, I have now visited 10 schools and all have said they would like to put together an order for September. We will be meeting the farmers in the next 2 weeks to offer them a place in the co-op and fix a price list so that we can then approach other customers in Bedfordshire.
So. Success brings a whole new set of challenges:

Exciting stuff. Come back to BigBarn soon for the latest news on this story.

By Sophie Driver, Nutritional Therapist

With longer hours of daylight to enjoy and even the odd ray of sunshine, what better excuse to dust off the barbeque and enjoy some time outside in the fresh air with family and friends. If your usual BBQ consists of blackened sausages or burgers in a bun drowned with ketchup dont panic help is at hand. This article will help you transform your BBQ to a colourful, nutritious and healthy feast!

Buy good quality local meats and fish from your butcher, fishmonger or farm shop. Avoid fat and salt laden pre-packaged sausages and burgers and go for free range chicken; lean steaks; fish and shellfish. Vegetables and even fruit are also great on the barbie the more colours the better. Marinated and added to kebabs, they look and taste great.

Marinating not only adds juiciness and flavour, it also stops the food from burning and therefore producing carcinogenic. A simple marinade made from olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic and mustard will stop 90% of these carcinogenic from forming (New Scientist). Marinade food for between one and 24 hours before you cook it. Other tasty marinates could include natural yoghurt, coriander and garlic (fantastic with chicken).

Get your taste buds tingling! Herbs and spices will add lots of flavor and nutrients without adding loads of sodium. They are a great source of minerals and anti-oxidants. Add them to marinades and liven up that food!

Roll the edge of a steak or piece of fish in sesame seeds to add a nutritious crunch. Sesame seeds are packed full of calcium, zinc and essential fats, so start to experiment with them. They are also great added to salads, together with sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Be patient! Wait until the coals of your BBQ have turned white and there are no flames whatsoever (those of you with gas barbies have it easy here!). Make sure that the grill isnt too close to the heat it is much better to cook food slowly and thoroughly than to burn the outside and leave the inside still raw. Burnt food is carcinogenic, so go slowly and remember its not a microwave and things may take a little time to cook. Marinating really helps here.
Vegetables can be cooked on a piece of flat foil or steamed (make the foil into a bag). Kebabs look and taste great add meat or fish and a variety of vegetables for an impressive meal (remember to soak wooden kebab sticks in water before use to avoid burning the ends).

Rather than just giving them a bread roll, give your friends and family a treat and make some tasty, nutritious side dishes. Rainbow coloured salads are great add a variety of colourful vegetables and add some seeds and beans and finish off with a tasty dressing (you could use the same recipe as your marinade). Try a new potato salad made with herbs and an olive oil dressing. Rice salads and cous cous dishes also add variety and give vegetarians something to get their teeth into.

Instead of going for a fatty, sugary shop-bought concoction, try grilling bananas in their skins, wrapped in tinfoil for a gooey dessert rich in potassium and fibre. For added decadence, slice the bananas in half and put a few cubes of dark chocolate in the slice. Wrap in foil and grill until the chocolate has melted and the banana has heated up. Delicious!! Other fruits to try on the BBQ include sliced peaches and nectarines – serve with some natural yoghurt. A bright, fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt is a healthy summery dessert that will brighten up your table and add valuable antioxidants to your diet.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas that will not only taste great and impress your friends and family, but which will also give you more energy and vitality by adding some fantastic nutrients to your diet. Enjoy!