9. Visit to the canteen of the Schlossgymnasium in Kirchheim unter Teck
Pupils at the Schlossgymansium have been able to enjoy a healthy and fresh lunch from Monday to Thursday without having to order in advance since 2005. On the 8th of May we were able to visit the canteen of the Schlossgymnasium in Kirchheim unter Teck, which is known as ‘essbar - Mensa im Schloss e.V.’. We were there to observe and conduct interviews.
The canteen is run by volunteer cookery parents, who are supervised by two permanently employed home economics professionals. There are 16 cooking groups in total, which provide a healthy and fresh meal in the ‘Essbar’ on a fixed weekday approximately every four weeks. On their cooking day, the cooking parents and their family receive a free meal. Between 100 and 300 lunches are served every day, with demand varying depending on the popularity of the dishes. The menu includes meat dishes once or twice a week. There is also a vegetarian alternative, a salad bar, cakes and desserts.
The parents can take any leftover food home with them. Alternatively, the leftovers can be frozen and made up into new dishes. This also allows them to react spontaneously if the planned meal is not enough. Furthermore it reduces waste and minimises food wastage. Before the holidays, a so-called leftover meal takes place, where leftover ingredients are used up. Only the plate leftovers are disposed of in the organic waste.
The Schlossgymnasium is also engaged in sustainability, for example with a sustainability group for pupils. The canteen emphasises the use of regional and seasonal products as well as the high quality of the food. Disposable products are not used. The canteen is supplied by regional butchers, bakers and other retailers. Payment is made via the cashless ‘Mensamax’ system. Parents can charge this account from home and students then pay with a canteen chip that they can attach to their key fob.
At Schlossgymnasium, we were once again able to interview some pupils, cookery parents and kitchen staff on topics relating to the sustainable aspects of canteen management. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of sustainable practices in school canteens and identify specific strategies for action. We hope that our school observations will contribute to raising awareness among the younger generation and encourage them to take a closer look at environmental and health issues.