“Chicago Town Balanced Choice Pizza has become an integral part of menus and is our bestselling dish”, says Vanessa Heritage-Smith, Catering Manager at Wrexham LEA – who along with her colleague Sue Williams – is responsible for 63 primary schools and eight secondary schools that serve a staggering 37,500 meals a week. “The Balanced Choice Pizza gives us quality and consistency, the brand and stuffed crust is recognised by the pupils – plus the taste is there – which makes them feel they are getting something similar to what they would have at home. You know they’ve enjoyed it when there are empty plates, the fact that 80% of our primary school pupils will choose the pizza when it is on the menu is testimony to this.” With Welsh legislation to consider, Vanessa and Sue have the challenge of creating a menu that not only appeals to children, but can be turned around in short space of time. Ready to serve in as little as six minutes, the Balanced Choice Pizza has been specially developed for schools with a reduced fat and saturated fat content. “The pupils are the customer focus and we need to make sure they are happy, it’s important to us that we send them home to their parents having enjoyed their lunch. It is also vital that every child across Wrexham experiences the same quality – consistency is key – and that’s what the Chicago Town Balanced Choice Pizza gives us. You have quality from the first slice served to the last.”
“We enjoy partnering with companies that are both innovative and progressive, and worked closely with Dr. Oetker Professional on the trials for Balanced Choice Pizza"Vanessa Heritage-Smith, Catering Manager at Wrexham LEA
Having worked with Dr. Oetker Professional for many years, the partnership has ensured the right products are developed for pupils, as Vanessa explains; “We enjoy partnering with companies that are both innovative and progressive, and worked closely with Dr. Oetker Professional on the trials for Balanced Choice Pizza. We were looking for something different as part of our high school daily offering and had to be confident in what we were putting forward. The quality of Chicago Town made it easy to introduce to menus, so much so in the last two years we’ve also added it to our primary school offering and feedback has been very positive.” Today, Chicago Town is Wrexham LEA’s bestselling dish in both primary and secondary schools, serving 30,000 pizzas a year. With a balanced menu cycle on offer, the pizzas are served twice in a three week rotation alongside a range of salads, packed lunches and jacket potatoes, as well as a dessert of the day which includes fresh fruits and yogurts. “We assess on the day the quantities we need, being able to cook from frozen in a few minutes means there is very little wastage, plus the holding time ensures that the taste and the quality is there until the last slice is served – the pupils love it!” Balanced Choice Pizza brings the famous Chicago Town brand to schools, it is pre-prepared and fully topped to save time and labour costs. The cheese pizza is made with a unique rising dough – rather than pre-cooked – to give that signature ‘Takeaway taste’ that has made Chicago Town the nation’s favourite pizza brand*.
*IRI Value Sales w/e 17th June 2017