Healthy Canteen Kit –

Canteen Manual
I 29
Effective management
In addition to providing the schoolcommunity with
nutritious and affordablefoods, the canteen should
be based on goodmanagement practices and be
financiallyself-sustaining.
Experience shows that, with good
managementand marketing practices, a canteen
can providehealthy foods and also be financially
viable.The school canteen is a small business.
Like anybusiness, it requires good management
practicesto be efficient and successful. Effective
canteenmanagement requires that:everyone
involved knows its goals andobjectives and is
familiar with its policiescanteen staff and
committee develop animplementation plan to
achieve policy goalsday-to-day operational
procedures arestructured and enforcedstaff are
adequately trained and supervisedstaff carry out
efficient stock management,accounting and
financial proceduresstaff are familiar with and
comply with relevantlegal requirements regarding
food safety andoccupational health and safety
standards.
›
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Role of theschool council
The school council has, through the
Education Act 1958
, the authority tooperate a school canteen.
This authority can also be delegated to a clubor
association that is not a subcommittee of
theschool council, or it can be sub-leased to a
privatecontractor under a licence. This licence
is obtainedfrom the Department of Education &
Training.The school council oversees the operation
of theschool canteen, including its
policies, employmentof staff, the disbursement of
any profits and therecoupment of losses. The day-
to-day operationsof the canteen are managed
either by a paidworker or a volunteer. School councils
usually forma canteen committee to
manage canteen issues.All profits from the
canteen are transferred to theschool council.
Income from the canteen mustbe adequate to
meet expenses incurred includingprovision for staff
superannuation, sick leave,annual leave and other
benefits and depreciation.If a school canteen is
sub-leased to a privatecontractor, the school council
should ensurethat the contract specifies that
food be soldin accordance with the
‘Go for your life’ HealthyCanteen Kit – Food Planner
and the
DietaryGuidelines for Children and Adolescents
in Australia
. It should also ensure that the operation(including
stores, stocktaking, trading, profitand loss
statements) of school canteens andother school
food services is consistent withthe information
provided in section 7.17 of the
Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide.
Many school councils are now recognising that
animportant aim of the canteen, in addition to
beingfinancially viable, is to provide nutritious
foodsand promote healthy eating. This aim should
beacknowledged in the canteen policy

or some of the canteen profitsto be invested back

into the canteen so thathealthy changes can
continue to be made.External catering contractors
pay a set annualpayment per head of student
population or payan agreed percentage of profits
back to theschool council.It is important that food
services that areexternally contracted or ordered
from off-sitebusinesses are involved in, aware of
and followthe school’s canteen policy. It is a good
idea tostipulate guidelines within the canteen
policy,for example regarding nutrition
and promotionof healthy foods, within contracts
and tenderswith external caterers.
Employing staff
Employing canteen staff is the role of the
schoolcouncil with approval from the principal.
Whenemploying paid and voluntary canteen staff,
itis important to follow good
staff managementprocedures:following the correct
industrial award oragreementhaving a formal job
description and interviewprocessdrawing up an
official employment contractproviding a staff
supervisorhaving a performance review
processproviding adequate trainingestablishing a
complaints resolution procedure.For more
information on employment andmanagement of
staff for school canteens,including job
descriptions, pay rates, employerentitlements and
relevant awards, contact theAustralian School
Canteens Association. Contactdetails of the
Association are provided in theresources section
of this manual

Healthy Canteen Kit –

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I 31
Stock management
The purchase of goods is a significantcanteen
expense and therefore it is criticalthat this process
is organised and efficient.It is important to:
buy products at the best pricebuy appropriate
quantitiesensure safe, high-quality productsorder
at the appropriate time.
Who should be responsible forordering stock?
Only one person in the canteen should
beresponsible for ordering stock, which
includesfoods, drinks, packaging, utensils, first
aid andcleaning materials. Ideally this will be the
canteenmanager, or a person who oversees most of
thecanteen and has the largest time
involvement.Allocating this responsibility to only
one personis important as it prevents confusion
and over-ordering, maintains consistency and
ensuresmaximum efficiency.Canteens generally
return higher profits whenthey restrict the number
of suppliers and rangeof stock.Restricting the
number of suppliers can bebeneficial as it allows
canteen staff to developmanagement rapport with
a supplier. This can alsoresult in special services
and treatment, such asdiscounts and better quality
of service.Minimising the range of stock assists in
reducingslow turnover items, which can lead to
spoilage.It will also allow you to use employees
andvolunteers with less training given there are
lessproducts to work with.Both of these practices
will also result in moreefficient ordering with fewer
orders needing tobe placed.It is important to
ensure that when minimising therange of stock in a
canteen the range and varietyof nutritious foods,
such as fruit and vegetables,is not reduced.

How do I choose a supplier?

The following pointers should help you inselecting
a good supplier. An ideal supplier:is located
locallyhas been recommended by other school
canteensdelivers frequently, and will do so at
aconvenient and suitable time for the
canteendelivers stock in good condition,
for exampleice-cream which is always frozen and
fruit andvegetables which are always freshdelivers
stock with the maximum shelf lifefollows
appropriate storage, handling andfood safety
requirements, such as adequaterefrigeration for
chilled and frozen goods andshade and cover for
fresh produceuses adequate packaging and
handlingprocedures to ensure products are not
damagedoffers an adequate range of
productscommunicates well, keeping you informed
ofprice changes, specials and product
availabilityoffers competitive prices, as well as
specials,discounts and incentivesoffers taste-
testing opportunities or freesamples to
trialprovides free promotional material in line
withyour healthy canteen policy, such
as posterspromoting healthy food productsoffers
incentives, such as equipment rewardsoffers
convenient and acceptable paymentprocedures,
including method of payment andsettlement terms.
HINT:
Never select food or drink productsthat fail
to reflect nutrition standards detailed in the
canteen policy even if the supplier canoffer
a lucrative deal, such as bargain pricesor
equipment rewards.

When to order
It is important to maintain the lowest level of
stockwhile at the same time having sufficient stock
touse or sell. This reduces the risk of stock
spoilingwhile in storage and also allows the
canteento potentially be earning interest on money
inthe bank instead of invested in stock sitting
onshelves. It is also important to aim to have as
littlestock as possible left over by the end of
term toprevent spoilage over term holidays.How
often your canteen needs to order stock
willdepend on:how long it takes for the supplier to
deliverthe orderhow regularly your supplier
delivers – ruralschools or canteens
using infrequent suppliersmay need to order
products with a longershelf lifethe shelf life of the
product – order lessitems more frequently to
reduce wastageof perishable stock and aim to use
fresh fruitand vegetables by the end of the week
toprevent spoilage and decrease in quality overthe
weekendstorage space – this will vary according
toseasons, for example refrigeration will
be usedmore during warmer weather, so more
regularordering of chilled items may be requiredat
this time.Check the stock currently in the canteen.
By usingan ordering list containing information on
eachsupplier and their products, you can quickly
viewcurrent stock and record what items need to
bereordered. Keep a record of all orders and
notewhen it was requested.When determining how
much stock to orderfor your canteen, it is important
to take intoconsideration the following:whether
individual products are selling wellwhether your
supplier is offering discounteditems and sales
on products you usually stockany changes in the
canteen menupopularity of certain items due to
seasonalchangesspecial days, awareness weeks
or culturalevents that might affect the types of
foodsbeing sold and boughtupcoming special
events and functions, suchas open days and
sporting days, which mayaffect the sales figures
for those daysadditional catering requirements
such asproviding for committee meetingsclass
excursions that may result in eitheran absence of
lunch orders or the need foradditional
cateringclass absenteeism, especially during key
timessuch as Year 12 pre-exam period, or when
yearlevels are located at alternative campusesfor
a term

public holidays and curriculum days

where thecanteen is closedterm holidays.
HINT:
Stock orders for special events should be
kept separate from the stock order tally
forcanteen sales. If not, the mark-up
schedule for the canteen will be incorrect,
as productsordered have not actually been
sold throughthe canteen.
Receiving stock
Check the delivery docket and supplier’s
invoiceagainst the order placed.Check for price
increases and update thesupplier ordering list.
Don’t forget to adjust thecanteen selling prices
accordingly.Check the quantity and quality of
stock, forexample whether refrigerated products
areadequately chilled or frozen.Ensure that
products are intact and notdamaged.Check use-by
dates.Put chilled or frozen products
awayimmediately.When restocking refrigerators
and shelves,place the new deliveries at the back
to ensurethat older stock is used first.
Using stock
Products approaching their use-by dates mayneed
to be used up quickly to prevent
wastage,especially before weekends and term
holidays.Strategies to use up stock
quickly include:reducing the price of slow-selling
stockintroducing a recipe of the week to use
upingredientsoffering specialsincluding products or
fresh fruit in meal deals.For more ideas on turning
stock over quickly, referto Promotion and marketing
on page 38.Stocktaking should be done on a
regular basisso that the canteen can account for
all stock,including items which have been
sold ordiscarded.
HINT:
Increase the turnover of short-shelf- life
products by extending hours of
operation(without necessarily increasing
the cost ofoperation), for example afternoon
tea could beoffered to students or teachers.

Healthy Canteen Kit –

Canteen Manual
I 33
Financial management
In order for a canteen to be financiallyviable,
income from selling food must eitherbe equal to or
greater than the expensesinvolved in running the
canteen.
Accurate costing of foods plays a very
importantpart in determining income. A
financiallysuccessful canteen also requires
efficientmanagement of all canteen resources.The
following section details why it is important to:account
for all canteen moneyaccount for all
stockdetermine the cost price of pre-packaged
itemsand recipesdetermine the selling price of pre-
packageditems and recipes per serve.
Accounting for canteen money
The canteen needs to ensure that all
canteenmoney can be accurately tracked at all
times.Management of money involves:running off
cash registers at the end of eachtrading period
during the day (if applicable)counting money and
balancing cash registersat the end of each
daymaintaining a standard floatbanking each day
and keeping minimal moneyin the
canteenaccurately recording payment of
all ordersand invoicesaccurately recording all
chequesaccurately recording all petty
cash expenses.It is recommended that all stock
should be paidfor by cheque or electronic transfer,
with pettycash being used only for the purchase of
items ofa minor or unexpected nature. Only a
small pettycash float should be kept.
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School Canteens and the GST
School-operated canteens are non-profit
bodiesunder GST legislation and can choose from
twoGST methods for reporting their transactions
fortax purposes – input taxed’ or ‘fully taxed
GST’.The Department recommends that schools
thatoperate profitable canteens use the input
taxedmethod.Under this method schools code all
purchases
asCASES21 GST Code
G13
and all
sales
as CASES21GST Code
G04
.Schools using the input taxed method do notneed
to report any GST-inclusive transactionson the
Business Activity Statement (BAS) to theAustralian
Taxation Office.Where costs, such as electricity,
cleaning,insurance, etc., are jointly used by both
the schooland the canteen these costs will need to
be ‘split’between the school and the canteen. For
example,where a bill is for the whole school, no
input taxcredits can be claimed on the portion of
costs thatrelate to the canteen.In these instances
the invoice should be splitcharged with the school
share charged as GSTinclusive or G11 and the
canteen share charged asinput taxed or G13.More
detailed information on schoolcanteens and the
GST is available
fromwww.sofweb.vic.edu.au/tax/gst/azgst/
Accounting for stock
The canteen should be able to account for
stocknumbers, so that incoming stock always
balancesoutgoing stock. This ensures that an
accurateincome can be recorded. Records should
includegoods which are disposed of due to being
pasttheir expiry date, items used in meal deals,
tastetestings and freebies. It is important to
checkdeliveries to ensure that all stock ordered
hasbeen supplied. Accurate monitoring of
stockshould allow you to determine if stock is
missing

Determining the cost price ofpre-packaged

items and recipes
The cost price of a pre-packaged item is
theamount it costs the canteen to purchase that
item.Selling prices of items can easily be
determinedusing the wholesale price of the goods,
especiallyas this price generally does not change.
HINT:
Inform the school community of
pricechanges in the school newsletter. You
don’t necessarily need to wait until the
menu is altered to change individual prices.
Changes in price can be due to:seasonal
availability, particularly of fruitand vegetablesbulk
purchasediscounted items and salescompetitive
pricesincentivestaste-testing opportunities or trial of free
samples.The cost price of recipes is the amount it
coststhe canteen to make a meal, snack or drinks
whichuse a variety of ingredients and packaging.
Todetermine the cost price of recipes, the cost of
allingredients and packaging is taken into
account.Many canteens also include overhead
costs, suchas wages, electricity, gas, water and
equipmentexpenses. The canteen may also wish
to takeinto account specials, discounts and
equipmentsubsidies that are provided by the
supplier.It is important for the canteen to have
standardrecipes with strict quantities of ingredients
andstandard serving sizes in order to accurately
pricerecipes, for example a consistent quantity of
fillingeach time for sandwiches.
■■■■■■
HINT:
Using portion-control equipment assists in
making serves of foods and drinks
accurate and consistent according to the
recipe. Thiscould be as simple as using
a tablespoon instead of a ‘handful’ of
sultanas.
A template that you can use to determine theprice
of recipes is provided on page 21. Thistemplate
provides space for you to list eachindividual
ingredient, serving size, cost of eachingredient per
serve and recipe instructions.Please note that this
manual only takes intoaccount ingredient and
packaging expenses.Remember to cost out
recipes accuratelyby including all ingredients,
even the butteror chutney which is used
in sandwiches.Underestimating the cost of recipes
– even forsmall quantities of ingredients – can
affect profitsin the long term.The recipe template
can help work out the costprice of prepared foods,
and help identify whetheror not foods can
be prepared more economically.Some recipes
may need altering across seasonsin order to
keep their cost price the same. Forexample, try
varying the fresh fruit used to makesmoothies if
the usual fruit ingredient becomestoo expensive.
HINT:
Avoid unnecessary packaging
andwrapping. This not only reduces the
cost of products but also helps the
environment
Healthy Canteen
I 35
Staff and volunteers
The school canteen manager plays a vital rolein
the coordination and management of thecanteen’s
volunteers.
Volunteers can be:parentspeople from the wider
communitystudents.
Reasons for volunteering
Contributing to, and being part of, the
schoolcommunity.Giving something to the
school.Learning about food and
nutrition.Increasing knowledge and skills in the
areasof cooking and food preparation,
food hygieneand safety, nutrition, customer
service andcash handling.Making new friends
and enjoying opportunitiesto socialise.
What to expect
Allow volunteers time to adjust to their role,gain
confidence and improve their skills.Be realistic –
be prepared to do most of thework yourself.Be a
good role model.Communicate clearly.
Student volunteers
Students can help design posters
and flyerspromoting healthy eating or they can
help tothink of new menu ideas. Talk to teachers to
seeif students can work on developing
promotionalmaterials as a class activity. Get
students to writea letter to parents requesting
volunteer help –you could use these student
articles in theschool newsletter.Student volunteers
need adequate supervision.It is also important to
make sure that volunteeringdoes not interfere with
their studies.
Coordinating a volunteer program
Coordinating a volunteer program
involves:recruitingretainingrecognising and
rewarding.
›
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Recruiting volunteers
Identify how many volunteers you will need
tomake a regular commitment and how manyyou
will need only to provide casual assistance.It’s a
good idea to plan for the year, keeping inmind
special days or events when additionalvolunteer
assistance will be required.Assume that volunteers
will come and go.Develop a list of interested
volunteers whowill fill casual positions and prevent
anunexpected shortage of assistance.Plan rosters
so that volunteers know how muchtime is required
and the length of commitmentexpected.Develop a
job description for the volunteerpositions available
so that volunteers knowwhat is expected of them.
This should include alist of specific tasks involved,
skills and trainingrequired, level of responsibility,
and personalattributes which would be looked
uponfavourably, such as own transport.Offer a
range of tasks or jobs to choose fromso that
volunteers have options. For example,a volunteer
may not feel comfortable dealingwith customers
but is happy to be involved withfood preparation.
Some voluntary jobs may alsoallow volunteers to
assist in their own time, forexample researching
new recipes or assistingwith promotion and
marketing.
HINT:
Include a canteen roster when advertising
for volunteers that indicates which gaps
need to be filled. This enables readers
to see what the commitment involves.
Advertising
It is important to advertise regularly and widelyto
keep the community informed and
aware ofvolunteer opportunities. Avenues for
advertisinginclude:weekly school
newslettersschool websiteschool orientation
information for new parentsorientation
eveningsparents’ eveningslocal
newspaper.Advertisements can be targeted
at:students’ parents and familieschurchesSenior
Citizens’ AssociationRSL clubsVolunteering
Australia
Recognising and rewarding volunteers
Recognising and rewarding volunteers is vitalif
they are to feel valued and appreciated. It isalso
important to provide incentives to keepvolunteers
motivated. These actions will result inbetter
service and will encourage longer periodsof
commitment. Discuss with the school principalthe
idea of applying for external volunteers’awards
and funding.Strategies to reward volunteers could
include:thanking volunteers for their assistance on
adaily basisacknowledging volunteers in
the schoolnewsletter, at assembly and at school
eventsproviding formal acknowledgement of
theirassistance with a certificate at the end of
eachyear and perhaps a personal letter or
small giftpinning up photographs of volunteers in
thecanteen with their name (if they wish)providing
professional development andtraining
opportunities, such as attendingcanteen
exposoffering a complimentary healthy
lunchplanning special events during Volunteers’
Weekensuring the canteen is a happy, pleasant
placeto work.

36 I Healthy Canteen Kit –

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Retaining volunteers
Once volunteers have been recruited, it
isimportant to provide a positive and
rewardingworking environment so that they
feel comfortableand appreciated. It is important
that volunteers arewelcomed and introduced to
canteen and schoolstaff on their first day, given a
tour and have policyand procedures
explained.Provide new volunteers with a
volunteer’s canteeninformation kit which should
contain:an introductory letter
(including contactinformation for the canteen)the
rosterthe canteen policythe canteen menufood
hygiene information.Volunteers should be provided
with informationabout:the layout of the
canteenhow to operate machinery
and equipmentfood hygiene
requirementsemergency drills and evaluation
procedureshow to handle difficult students.how to
manage customer complaintsand
feedbackprocedures to follow if they are ill
whenrostered onwhere the roster is locatedwhere
to locate contact numbers, includingemergency
contactsschool times, including lunch and recess.
HINT:
Discuss any times when the volunteer
is not able to assist,
for example during holidaysor because of
medical appointments or specialoccasions so
that you can plan ahead.
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Layout of the canteen
Provide schedules on the wall which outlinetime-
based tasks, for example when to placepizzas in
the oven.Keep instruction books near equipment
foreasy reference.Place food hygiene reminders
aroundthe canteen.Provide recipe information on
the wall,for example how long a sandwich
shouldbe toasted for and serving sizes ofsandwich
ingredients.Label drawers and cupboards
with theircontents. This will cut down the
amount of timea volunteer may take to search for
items.
Management of volunteers
Maintain confidentiality of their personal details.Be
sensitive to their current level of knowledgeand
skills.Ensure that volunteers feel confident in
allaspects of their duties, such as food
hygieneregulations. Be aware that they may
bereluctant to ask for clarification, so keep acheck
and be ready to ask if there is anythingthey need
help with.Keep volunteers informed of changes
anddevelopments in the canteen and school,such
as decisions made at canteencommittee
meetings.Include volunteers in decision
making.Provide volunteers with the opportunity
toshare their knowledge and skills.
Maintaining volunteer involvement
Ensure that volunteers have adequate
breaks.Provide volunteers with a variety of
tasks.Provide the opportunity for volunteers
todevelop additional skills to increase
their jobsatisfaction and prevent
boredom.Introduce a ‘buddy’ system, such
as pairingvolunteers to prepare sandwiches
together.Working in pairs or in a team can be
rewarding,contribute to team building and
preventisolation. It is also a great way for new
recruitsto work with more experienced
volunteers.Run a ‘Bring a Friend’ day.Organise
social occasions, such as sitting downfor lunch
together, or organising a larger-scalefunction such
as a dinner out

38 I Healthy Canteen Kit –

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Promotion and marketing
Promoting and marketing the canteen andthe
healthy foods it sells is essential if thecanteen is to
be a success.
Using simple promotion and marketingstrategies
will:assist student acceptance of these
healthychangeshelp increase the numbers
of studentspurchasing healthy food choiceskeep
canteen sales and income healthy.Before deciding
how to market the canteen andhealthy food
choices, it is important to identify thekey
customers and their wants and needs. Thiswill
change over time, so it is important to gatherand
update this information regularly.An understanding
of student interests, lifestyles,ideas and the latest
‘fads’ will help to developsuccessful marketing
activities. There area number of different ways to
source thisinformation.Chat with students,
teachers and parents aboutfood and eating
preferences.Watch TV shows, listen to radio
programs andread magazines that appeal to your
school’sage group.Ask the SRC representative of
your canteencommittee for ideas.Conduct a
student market survey, includingquestions like
‘What is your favourite fruit?’Provide a suggestion
box where students canplace ideas about
food choices.The different aspects of marketing
healthy foodchoices in school canteens can
be described bythe 4
Ps:productplacepricepromotion.
›
■■■■■■■■■■■■
Product
When considering the product, consider not
onlythe foods that are sold in the canteen, but
theimage of the canteen as a whole – the
service,the canteen environment, how foods
arepromoted, and how well connected the
canteenis to the school community.
Create an image
Creating a positive image for the canteen givesit a
higher profile in the school community.For example,
give the canteen a catchy name,such as the ‘Snack
Shack’, the ‘Kool Kids’ Cafe’or the ‘Tuck In’. This gives
the canteen an identityor a ‘brand’ which can be used
for advertisingand marketing. The name can be printed
onlunch bags and staff aprons and be linked tomeal
deal specials.
HINTS:•
Involve students in naming the canteen by
running a naming competition.
•
Design a symbol or picture to accompany
the name – this will help it appeal to
students.
•
Develop a motto for the canteen – a
goodway to promote the canteen’s image
andcommunicate its goals and services in
acatchy way. For example, ‘Healthy
Foods, Healthy Learning’, ‘Foods that are
healthy and taste good too!’ or ‘Serving
healthy foods for healthy children’.
Supporting your ‘branding’
Carefully choose fresh fruit and vegetables.If
possible, use a small local greengrocer asthey
usually provide more advice on bestquality and
price based on seasonal availabilityand they may
be able to deliver regularly toensure a fresh
supply.Serve foods and drinks at an
appropriatetemperature. Hot foods should be
piping hotand cold items should be very
chilled.Follow food safety and hygiene
guidelines.Use standardised recipes and serve
sizes forconsistency. Pin up recipes and serving-
sizeguidelines in an obvious place to assist
staffand volunteers preparing and serving foods.

Healthy Canteen Kit –

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 I 39
Food presentation
Use parsley and vegetable garnishes
forsandwiches and platters, and around
the foodsin the cold display cabinet.Display fruit in
an attractive basket or bowl bythe counter where it
is easily reached.Ensure that fillings in foods
such as sandwichesand wraps can be seen
clearly.Clearly label and price foods, including
wholefresh fruit. The absence of a price will
oftendiscourage sales.Make sure that foods are
packaged in such away that they can be easily
eaten by studentsand that serving sizes are
appropriate to theage and appetite of students.
Seasonal availability
Consider the season when promoting
foods.Usually, hot foods such as soups and
toastedsandwiches are more popular in winter and
coldfoods such as salads and wraps are more
popularin summer. Promoting fruit may be easier to do
insummer as more exotic varieties, like stone
fruits,are available. Fruit is versatile and can be
servedchilled or even frozen like grapes.
■■■■■
Place
‘Place’ refers to the canteen environment andthe
way in which foods and drinks are arrangedwithin
the canteen. These are important aspectsto
consider when creating a positive image fora
canteen. The canteen should be an
attractive,appealing place that everyone enjoys
visiting.When planning the layout and appearance
ofthe canteen consider if it is easily accessibleand
spacious, clean and attractive.Placing some tables
and chairs and plants nearthe canteen creates
a nice eating atmosphere.Design and technology
students could be involvedin construction of such
furniture. Many schoolsprovide a separate eating
area for senior students.Some schools have
created an outdoor eatingarea with chairs and
tables under umbrellas ora sail. Utilise any spare
ground near the canteenfor a small herb or
vegetable garden, or use pots.This not only
provides a nice environment foreating, but
provides quick and easy access tofresh herbs
when preparing foods.Is there adequate lighting?Is
it colourful with bright décor and designsthat
appeal to younger people?Get the visual
arts department involved. Studentscould design
and paint murals on the walls andcolourful menu
boards and construct and decoratesandwich
boards. Alternatively, special menublackboards
can be purchased that are designedto have semi-
permanent writing and pictures,but can have the
prices changed easily.Removable plastic lettering
and numbering,makes it easy to update the menu
boards as wellas providing a professional image. A
clear, well-placed menu will make it easier for
students toselect foods and will make the canteen
servingprocess more efficient. Also consider
playingmusic in the waiting and eating area.Does
the canteen look professional?Requiring workers
to wear a uniform can helpto brighten the canteen
environment and addto its image and professional
appearance. Theuniform may be quite casual, for
example jeanswith a brightly coloured uniform T-
shirt bearingthe canteen’s logo. Uniform aprons
also providea professional image, as well as being
importantfor maintaining hygiene.

40 I Healthy Canteen Kit –

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Product positioning
Place healthy choices at students’ eye level.For
example, have fresh fruit within arm’s reachand
position several rows of bottled water ateye level.
Try placing some salad tubs, fruitsalad or yoghurt
in the drinks refrigerator aswell, to encourage last
minute purchasesMake sure there is a well-
stocked displayof pre-prepared healthy foods, for
examplesalad tubs and rolls and wraps,
to encourageimpulse purchases.Rotate the
position of products regularly togenerate interest.
Try stocking foods in multipleplaces to encourage
optimal sales.
Distribution
Most canteens sell directly to their main
targetmarket – students – via one outlet: the
canteencounter. Consider whether there are other
waysin which, with minimal extra effort, the
servicecan be extended to a wider market
and increaseyour sales.Consider selling at both
the canteen and viapre-orders. Pre-ordering may
make it easier forcanteen staff as it will enable
easier preparationand planning for stock. Promote
pre-ordering tostudents as a way of getting priority
serviceat lunch.Have a pre-ordering and delivery
service forstaff as well. Take a selection of food
itemsover to the staff room at meal times.Provide
a catering service for morning andafternoon teas
for staff meetings and otherexternal meetings or
events that may be held atthe school, for example
afternoon tea at $4.00per head. Market this
service as robustly asother canteen
services.Consider extending a catering service for
otherschool events, for example school sports
daysand school excursions and camps.Consider
the canteen operating hours. Couldthese be easily
extended? Do they enablestaff and senior
students to use the canteen atany time? Could a
breakfast service be addedbefore school? Some
canteens develop a wholebreakfast menu, but it
could be as simple asoffering a small selection of
appropriate foodsalready on the canteen menu.
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Price
Ensure that the canteen offers a selection oflow-
cost, filling, nutritious items such as raisintoast,
sultanas, dinner rolls or small corn cobsthat
students can buy with their small change.Price
food simply, for example $1.50 insteadof $1.45, so
that it is easier for students to payand easier for
the staff to give change.Before trialling a new
product, compare theprice of your product with the
prices in otherlocal shops and check prices with
students tosee what they think.Make sure healthier
options are affordable.Offer reduced prices to
promote slow-sellingitems or include these items
in a meal dealwhich is priced for value.Sell
cheaply towards the end of lunchtimeor at
afternoon tea-time in the staff roomand increase
sales as well as reduce costsfrom wastage.Use
competitive prices as the focus pointfor
advertising, for example stocking 50csnack
packs.Advertise products as representing good
valuefor money.Design a ‘What you can buy
for this’ poster forthe canteen, listing healthy items
available for10c, 20c, 50c, etc. Use pictures of the
moneyand food items if dealing with young
students