On January 18, the town hall of Bordeaux announced that with 20% of agents absent due to Covid, the school canteen would not be able to be provided every day for all children. Since this Monday, January 24 and until the February holidays, she asked parents to pick up their children during the lunch break, or to plan a picnic twice a week.
After several meetings with the parents, an adjustment was announced on Monday. From January 31, reheatable meals will finally be provided for kindergarten students. “This organization allows us to meet the expectations concerning siblings and the lack of autonomy of children in nursery schools”, underlines the city in an information message intended for parents of pupils. To ensure balanced meals, it also plans to add fruits and dairy products to picnics.
Colleges also adapt their catering
In colleges too, there are many absences in the teams. The department explains that it anticipated these problems by recruiting seven flying chefs, reinforced by four other recruits at the start of the year. “The budget allocated to remedy these difficulties is around 200,000 euros per month”, specifies the department.
In the event of significant absences of agents in an establishment, it is possible to use a flying chef. If they are all already mobilized, it is planned to serve simplified menus, such as ravioli for example. And if this option is not tenable either, packed lunches can be offered to college students. “They consist of a starter, a main course (tuna salad with pasta for example), a dessert (compote, cream) and a bottle of water, and the college provides the bread and a piece of fruit. and more, ”says the department.
“No high school in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region has been forced to close its catering service or a boarding school due to the absence of staff due to the consequences of the health crisis during the recent period”, declares for its part the region, without specifying whether adapted menus had to be put in place.