At the beginning of the school year, some parents from the association’s Canteen Committee were able to visit the two refectories of LFIT (main building and annex) and taste the meal of the day. For the members of this committee, it was also an opportunity to meet Cezars Kitchen’s team, an external service provider specialized in school catering, who has been providing the canteen service at LFIT since September. 

On the menu that day, a vegetarian meal composed of a fennel and orange salad, tortilla with zucchini, tomatoes, corn and red beans, all accompanied by rice, a carrot and ginger soup, and fruit in syrup for dessert. A meal that as a whole pleased the adults of the Committee. 

Main dish

Approximately 1260 students aged 3 to 18 years old eat lunch at the canteen every day. The organization of the lunch break must therefore run perfectly. After a few inevitable adjustments linked to the recent arrival of Cezars Kitchen at LFIT, the service seems to be well established but can always be improved.

First of all, the kindergarten pupils, the first graders and the second graders have lunch on the main site. They are supervised by the kindergarten assistants and the supervisors. While the youngest children are served directly at the table, the elementary students take their own tray which they clear away once they have finished.

Main building

Kindergarten pupils with allergies or who do not eat pork are served on red plates instead of white ones, with a picture of the students at their – fixed – place to avoid any confusion. 

The older students are seated at separate tables to prevent any exchange of food between children. The students do not seem to be isolated, nevertheless, and find ways to talk and laugh with other students. 

Annex

In the annex, another chef and his team serve the third, fourth and fifth graders and offer the same menu as in the main building. The children take turns arriving at the dining hall, serving themselves in a self-service fashion and sitting down in one of the three rooms of the refectory.

Once the elementary students are out of the canteen of the main building, the large dining hall can then accommodate the middle and high school students according to their class and schedule.

In general, all students are encouraged to try everything without being forced. Students of all grades may ask for a refill as long as they have eaten most of their plate. 

Annex’s dining room

In an effort to make students more accountable, elementary and secondary students are asked to clear their own trays, put dishes in the assigned bins, and dispose of their leftovers to make them aware of the waste.

Each month, the Canteen Committee ensures that a wide variety of dishes are offered so that students have access to a variety of foods and tastes, while regularly listing the children’s favorites on the menu. Two vegetarian meals are currently offered each month as well as a Japanese recipe and a fish dish each week. 

Like every year, LFIT will soon organize a “Discovery Week” which will be an opportunity for students’ parents who wish so, to visit the canteen and taste the same dishes as their children.