6. Visit to the canteen of the local school (Schulzentrum Rutesheim)
On April the 29th, we had the opportunity to visit the school canteen in Rutesheim. The school center, which consists of a high school, a secondary school and a school for special needs, offers students the opportunity to have a warm lunch from Monday to Thursday. They or their parents can book meals for the chosen days one week in advance via the MensaMax system. Payment is then made with a chip to reduce waiting times. Pupils can choose between a dish with meat or a vegetarian option. A dessert or fruit and sometimes a salad are also served. Water is available from the free drinking dispenser.
We were able to experience the entire preparation, cooking and serving process. There was a choice of dishes on this day: Minced meat and leek stew or paprika vegetables with noodles and a vanilla cream for dessert. We were especially impressed by the opportunity for the students to try a small portion first. They can then go back for seconds as often as they like. This reduces food waste by a lot. We have seen for ourselves how well this system is accepted and how consciously many children decide to eat a small portion first. The canteen obtains vegetables from a local farm store. The canteen pays great attention to avoiding packaging waste.
In the canteen, parents and pupils meet on an equal level and interact openly.
Pupils do not have to be afraid to address special requests or other concerns. There is also a relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen, which makes cooking a lot of fun. Around 95-105 cooking parents volunteer to help out in the canteen. They can decide for themselves how often and when. Many working parents even take time off from time to time to volunteer in the school canteen.
We would like to thank Ms. Daniela Hoss and her team for the great and informative insights behind the scenes! The visit to the canteen in Rutesheim showed us once again how sustainability can work in the school canteen and, above all, how open and respectful interaction with one another creates a positive atmosphere. It's unfortunate that we didn't have the opportunity to interview pupils directly. There would certainly have been interesting insights that would not only have enriched our research project, but would also have provided the canteen with valuable information. From our own observations and insights, we have the impression that the students enjoy coming to the canteen to spend their lunch break together.