Food at Mill on the Brue
We know that everyone coming to us needs delicious tasting,
high energy, well cooked & plentiful meals
Melissa, our catering manager, ensures that all the food is child friendly whilst at the same time healthy. We also source as much of the produce from the local area such as:
- All meat from Andrew Barclay butchers 5.4 miles away
- Cheese – Wyke 0.3 miles
- Milk from the local organic dairy, Bruton Dairy - 1.2 miles
- Free range eggs from Cheddar - 23 miles
- All our delicious cakes are freshly made every day
Home Grown
Our History and Ethos
About 85% of the fruit and vegetables are grown at Mill on the Brue using organic methods.The relationship between the estate team and the kitchen is vital, ensuring very little waste and creating menus depending on what is in season. We planted an edible hedge last winter with all sorts of pickable fruits.
If you have specific dietary requirements it is not a problem! The catering team have wide experience cooking for different diets such as specific food allergies, health conditions or religious requirements. None of the food cooked in the kitchen contains nuts.
“SHOCK HORROR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY 10 YEAR OLDS LIFE HE HAS REQUESTED TO HAVE SOME VEGETABLES!!!!! He has an extremely limited meat heavy diet so this is joy to my ears! He suddenly remembered trying your tomato soup whilst on a schools residential stay last October and thought he would like to try some again. Do you have a recipe I can use?” Email from parent.
We were runners up in BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards which we think says a lot!
In 2013 we still wanted to do something more so started a Zero Hero competition between our visiting schools to encourage reducing the food waste. It’s been a huge success cutting down our total food waste by 50% year on year!
In 2012 the overall customer food waste for that year was a 1000kg. We were shocked and knew we had to do something about it. We introduced the food waste challenge. If schools didn't throw any food away during their stay they became "Zero Heroes" receiving a certificate for their school and a prize for each child. In 2016 we bought a Ridan food composter which composts any food waste. In 2012 eight schools were "Zero Heroes". In 2018 43 schools have become "Zero Heroes". Even if the remaining schools have not become "Zero Heroes" the food waste has been reduced dramatically and many teachers are taking our practices to their schools and the children back to their families.
No food waste at all from Mill on the Brue goes to landfill.
“A quote from a Yr 6 pupil on their first day “That lunch was so delicious I actually can’t wait for tea!”
A Typical 5 Day Sample Menu
About 85% of the fruit and vegetables are grown at Mill on the Brue using organic methods. The relationship between the estate team and the kitchen is vital, ensuring very little waste and creating menus depending on what is in season. We've planted an edible hedge last winter with all sorts of pickable fruits.
Monday - Arrival
| Snack | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolognes Pasta Bake/Veggie Bolognese Bake | Chorizo & Bacon Potato Frittata | ||
| Garlic Bread | Veggie Frittata | ||
| Salad | Peas & Corn | ||
| Fruit Crumble with Custard | Fresh Fruit | ||
| Afternoon snack - Homemade Cake or Cookies |
Tuesday
| Snack | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning snack - Homemade Cake or Cookies | Cereal/Toast and Preserves | Chickpea & Vegetable Tikka Masala | Sausage Plait |
| Porridge | Rice | Cheese & Onion Potato Plait | |
| Yoghurt | Cauli, Peas & Spinach | Baked Beans | |
| Fruit Juice | Chocolate & Forest Fruit Cookie Bake | Fresh Fruit | |
| Afternoon snack - Homemade Cake or Cookies | with Chocolate Sauce |
Wednesday
| Snack | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning snack - Homemade Cakes or Cookies | Cereal/Toast and Preserves | Chicken & Sweetcorn Pie | Homemade Soup |
| Porridge | Vegetarian Pie | Ciabatta Pizza | |
| Yoghurt | Creamed Potato, Broccoli & Carrots | Fresh fruit | |
| Pain au Choc | Chocolate Fudge Sponge with Choc Sauce | ||
| Afternoon snack - Homemade Cakes or Cookies | Fruit Juice |
Thursday
| Snack | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Snack - Homemade Cakes and Cookies | Cereal/Toast and Preserves | Summer Sausage Tray bake | Macaroni Cheese |
| Porridge | Veggie Sausage Tray bake | Salad | |
| Yoghurt | New Potatoes | Fresh fruit | |
| Fruit Juice | Leeks & Greens | ||
| Afternoon Snack - Homemade Cakes and Cookies | Peach Sponge with Citrus Sauce |
Friday
<
| Snack | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Snack - Homemade Cakes and Cookies | Cereal/Toast and Preserves | Battered Fish | |
| Porridge | Halloumi Stuffed Pepper | ||
| Bacon Bap
Yoghurt |
Chips
Peas Roasted Courgette |
||
| Afternoon Snack - Homemade Cakes and Cookies | Fruit Juice | Shortbread and Ice Cream |
Recipe of the month
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Chicken breast or diced (to suit)
Dry mix of turmeric, ground cumin, coriander add fresh rosemary & fresh coriander finely chopped
Lemons – zest the skin plus juice
Cream
Chicken stock
Gram flour (chickpea flour) or plain flour can be used
Coriander for garnish
Marinade the chicken in the spice mix for at least 4 hours, fry in pan to colour and then lay in cooking tray.
Add lemon juice/zest and chicken stock and bake in oven for about 20 mins.
Pour off excess liquid and thicken with gram flour (pre mixed with water to a paste), add cream to make enough sauce and return to the pan to cook for further 30 mins
Garnish with fresh coriander.
