“To keep pupils on site we need to replicate high street offerings and the Balanced Choice Pizza has been a great way to do this” explains Symon Dovey, Assistant Catering Manager at the Vale of Glamorgan LEA. “Pupils regularly go offsite and I was on the search for an offering that would catch their eye and guarantee they have eaten a good meal. Not only does Balanced Choice support food standards, but the stuffed crust and Chicago Town brand is easily recognisable by the pupils making it a great option for our menus.” By delivering the signature ‘takeaway’ taste of Chicago Town’s Balanced Choice Pizza, the Vale of Glamorgan LEA is winning the battle with the high street and encouraging more pupils to choose the school canteen. Symon is responsible for designing menus for five secondary schools that are compliant with school food standards and also appeal to pupils. With over 4000 school meals cooked each week,the Balanced Choice pizza’s reduced fat and reduced saturated fat content has seen it become a welcomed addition to the menu. “Creating exciting menus that pupils will enjoy is a priority and we can achieve this by replicating dishes they eat at home. Pizza is an all-time favourite so it was important to us to include it on our menus in a way that complied with school food standards.” Through the partnership with Dr. Oetker Professional, the Vale of Glamorgan LEA has been able to bring the Chicago Town brand to schools and delight pupils, as Symon explains; “Dr. Oetker Professional made the roll-out really simple by showing our cooks the best way to prepare the pizza. As soon as Balanced Choice was served the pupils went crazy for it and we knew it was an instant success. We now offer the cheese pizza twice a week – serving it by the slice – which allows us to provide a grab-and-go option that gets pupils through the queues quickly and into the playground with their friends. “The stuffed crust sets the pizza apart making it instantly identifiable as a dish they are used to eating at home. The strong brand recognition means pupils know straight away the pizza will taste delicious, making it a very popular choice on our menus.”
“Creating exciting menus that pupils will enjoy is a priority and we can achieve this by replicating dishes they eat at home.Symon Dovey, Assistant Catering Manager at the Vale of Glamorgan LEA
The Balanced Choice cheese pizza delivers the ultimate pizza hit in as little as six minutes from frozen. With a holding time of up to 45 minutes, caterers are guaranteed a fully topped, consistent result with no additional pressure on the kitchen.