Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Schoolchildren across the county are preparing to go bananas as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. Carmarthenshire’s Catering Services is ordering in 700kg of Fairtrade bananas for a special themed lunch to mark the event, which will take place on Wednesday, February 25. Pupils can tuck into a roast dinner with broccoli, carrots, gravy, mashed and roast potatoes followed by homemade Fairtrade banana split served with vanilla ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce. The school meals services supports the sustainable and ethical food procurement practices and actively promotes use of Fairtrade products such as bananas, sugar, and fruit juices within school dining halls. Catering services manager, Sandra Weigel said: “It is important we show our support to Fairtrade as it complements our efforts to deliver a healthy and nutritionally balanced school meals service, which quite literally doesn't cost the earth. It also helps educate the children about the ethics of Fairtrade.” Each school meal a...

Carmarthenshire school pupils will be going bananas to celebrate the national Fairtrade Fortnight. Carmarthenshire County Council’s catering department is laying on a special themed lunch to mark the event, which will take place on Thursday, March 6. Pupils can tuck into a tasty homemade spaghetti bolognaise with peas and garlic bread, followed by Fairtrade banana, ice cream and homemade hot chocolate sauce. Fairtrade Fortnight encourages fair terms of trade for millions of farmers and workers in developing countries. Climate change, rising food and fuel costs, and volatile market prices mean they face an uncertain future. Catering Services Manager Sandra Weigel said: “It is important that we show our support to Fairtrade as it links in well with our efforts to deliver a healthy and nutritionally balanced school meals service which quite literally doesn't cost the earth.“ The menus have been specially devised using the Saffron system which measures nutritional quality to the mill...

Carmarthenshire school children are about to go bananas over their school dinners. Thousands of primary school pupils are looking forward to getting a taste of some special lunches to mark Fairtrade Fortnight. Children will tuck in to a two special menus as part of the event – each topped off with a delicious Fairtrade banana dessert to help them towards their five-a-day. On Tuesday, February 28, they will enjoy homemade spaghetti bolognaise with peas and garlic bread, followed by Fairtrade banana, ice cream and homemade hot chocolate sauce. On Monday, March 5, cooks will serve up fillet of fish or vegetable grill with jacket potato and sweetcorn, followed by Fairtrade banana crumble and custard. Each is included in the usual cost of a school meal – £2.00 for a nutritionally-balanced two-course meal. Fairtrade Fortnight encourages fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world, by requiring companies to pay sustainable prices for produce. It also aims to promote de...

A Fairtrade bonanza is underway in Carmarthenshire. A host of events and activities have been lined up to mark this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight. Schools, businesses and community groups are throwing their weight behind the initiative, aimed at transforming the lives of farming families in developing countries. Organisers hope the promotional blitz will raise awareness of the need to shop locally and ethically and provide a better deal for producers in Africa and India. They are urging people across the county to show off about buying Fairtrade, which offers 7.5 million people a more secure future. The celebrations, which run until March 13, kicked off with the raising of the first Fairtrade flag to be awarded to a primary school in the county, at Llanddarog. Throughout the fortnight special events and activities will be staged across the county. Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn will run a special Fairtrade tuck shop and students from Coleg Sir Gar will host events with Fairtrade drinks and treats. The...

Children across Carmarthenshire will be ‘showing off’ later this month, in support of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight. The county’s Catering Service, part of the local authority, is laying on two special meals to celebrate the event, which will run from February 28 to March 13. This year’s theme is ‘show off your label’, so school dining halls across Carmarthenshire will be decked out with Fairtrade logos – including bunting which school children are being encouraged to make as part of a World Record attempt. On Monday, February 28, children will be treated to a fillet of fish or vegetable grill, a half jacket potato, spaghetti hoops or peas, served with fresh bread, and followed by Fairtrade apple and banana crunch and custard. On Tuesday, March 8, a ‘cook’s choice’ menu will be served – consisting of a homemade cottage or vegetable pie, served with boiled potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, followed by homemade chocolate and Fairtrade banana muffin with Fairtrade juice. The m...