Innovative Strategies for Public Catering: the Expansion of the Sustainable Public Meal Toolkit
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Practical Testing of the tool "Sustainable diet training for public institutions" by Riga City Council, Latvia

17 July 2023
In June 2023 Chef Māris Astičs, Head of the Restaurant Service School, teached cooks of educational institutions about the use of plant-based ingredients in public meals. The classes were organised as part of the implementation of the tool "Use of plant-based products in cooking ".
Technical details

 

How was the tool implemented in Riga?

The practical master classes were held on the following topics: the use of vegetables and legumes in soups, main dishes, side dishes and technological aspects of cooking. In total 56 cooks from Riga schools and preschool catering companies participated in the training.

In the master class, which lasted 5 academic hours every day, the main emphasis was placed on practical work, the school cooks themselves were actively involved in the process of preparing products, their preparation and also tasting the final result.

How could the tool be useful for the local cooks?

The chefs learned the nuances of high-class cooking of “Minestrone” vegetable broth soup, root vegetable cream soup with herb toasts, vegetable stew with fish fillet, vegetable stew with herbs and buckwheat stew with mushrooms and vegetables. The menu was created in such a way that it can be easily adapted to the needs and possibilities of the school. The advice and sharing of his experience by the experienced chef and educator Māris Astičs was a great benefit.

This spring, the method developed in Estonia “Measuring food waste in school canteens” was tested in 68 Riga schools, which made it possible to conclude what improvements should be made in improving the quality of catering services in educational institutions. Monitoring and accounting of leftover food was carried out in Riga schools. In order to improve the quality of food in Riga’s educational institutions, practical training for cooks of school catering companies in preparing healthy and tasty food using plant-based products was organized.

More information about the implementation, please contact:

Ilze Spunde, Project Manager

Education, Culture and Sports Department of Riga City Council

International and Investment Projects Division

E-mail: ilze.spunde@riga.lv

Tel: +371 67043611