Our Food

At Bardfield Montessori, we provide children with breakfast, lunch, and tea, along with healthy snacks and drinks whenever they need them, just like at home. Our flexible breakfast and snack times are designed to meet each child’s individual needs and to foster their independence and self-reliance.

Children play an active role in all aspects of mealtimes. They help choose the menu, participate in cooking, set the table with cutlery, crockery, glasses, and even arrange a vase of flowers.

We structure lunch and tea to be social events where both children and staff engage in helping each other and taking turns. During these meals, children of various ages sit together at a table with a member of staff to promote a positive eating experience and good table manners.

Our talented Nursery Chef, who is also a mum, takes great pride in preparing a variety of nutritious meals. She works closely with the children to design a personalised menu each week, taking into account their favourite foods and their growing knowledge and understanding of the world.

We use only high-quality ingredients, and all meals are home-cooked to ensure that the children receive a full range of nutritious food groups. This approach also helps educate them about balanced diets and making healthy choices.

We are delighted to have recently received the Essex Early Years Nourishing Our Future Award for creating healthier food environments for our youngest children.

At our nursery, children are actively engaged in preparing and growing food, as well as planning our weekly menus. They plant, water, and harvest vegetables from our garden, learning how to care for the environment, understand life cycles, and recognize the nutritional value of different foods.

We follow the ‘Eat the Rainbow’ approach, teaching children about the benefits of eating a variety of coloured foods. This knowledge helps them prepare meals in our classroom kitchens, using practical life skills like cutting and grating as they discuss their favourite colours and foods.

We also offer a free-flow breakfast and snack service, complete with all the necessary equipment to encourage independence and self-sufficiency. Outings are an essential part of our nursery experience. When we visit different places, children learn important social skills, table manners, and try a wide range of diverse foods.