Pupils help create new Milton Keynes pub menu

Local children were invited to decide what dishes should feature on the healthier new childrens’ menu at The Anchor in Aspley Guise.

Pupils from Aspley Guise Lower School, Eversholt Lower School and Husborne Crawley Lower School took part in the after-school menu tasting session at the pub.

The tiny tasters sampled around 14 dishes during the tasting session with head chef Stefano Boi and nutrition advisor Catherine Turner-Perrott of Dotty’s Kitchin, who is helping create the nutritious new menu.

The children decided what dishes should earn a place on the new menu which is to launch in the middle of March.

Head chef Stefano Boi said: “We thought it was really important to bring the local schools and local community together and ask the children what they want to eat.

“We had a great time at the tasting session and relished the opportunity to share our passion for food with the children and get their feedback on our ideas.

“Eating shouldn’t be a chore for children and they shouldn’t be in restaurants to sit behind a tablet waiting for their food to come, but are an important part of the whole dining experience.

“So we are making sure the food on the new menu is fun, interactive and nutritious.”

Mother-of-two Turner-Perrott started Dotty’s Kitchin in 2015 to help inspire her then fussy eater daughter to try new foods by cooking together.

She said: “The children tried lots of new foods and ate lots of vegetables in the dishes and there were happy faces all around.

“The feedback from both the children and parents has been amazing. There is a lot of love and thought going in to this menu, which shows that childrens’ menus don’t need to be about dull, beige, frozen food.”

The new menu will include crudité pots for every child to enjoy while waiting for their main meal to arrive and feature make your own dishes, interactive food and fruit based desserts which are low in refined sugar but high in flavour and fun.