With school budgets under pressure like never before, every penny counts when it comes to feeding pupils. So how can catering managers make sure their cheese choices deliver real value for money as well as taste?
Are you listening at the back? Here’s our top tips for stretching the school budget on lunchtime pizzas:
When it comes to pizza there are many ways that schools can still deliver mouth-watering meals without paying eye-watering prices for their toppings.
Swap mature for a mild cheese mix
To deliver on taste, cost and finish – include ‘the stretch’ – school catering teams can swap their usual cheddar and mozzarella blend for a mild white cheese mix. The mild white cheese blends and melts seamlessly with mozzarella to give a golden colour and cheddar undertones, while making for a delicious alternative. As mild cheese costs less than mature cheddar it will help save money and put a smile on pupils’ faces at the same time.
Add a fat-filled product instead of mozzarella
We produce these in-house at Bridge Cheese as part of our price-fighter range of products to help our public sector catering customers manage their costs. These cheeses melt and stretch like mozzarella but they don’t have the same price tag, allowing school caterers to cut costs without compromising on quality.
Our fat-filled products aren’t only perfect for pizzas either, they are also suitable for use in a variety of hot meals such as toasties and pasta sauces, which can help consolidate your orders and deliver savings across the wider menu.
Choose a finer grate
Not all pizza cheese grates need to be the same size. To retain quality whilst saving costs, consider going for a slightly finer grate. A thinner grate means schools can use less product to top their pizzas to make it go further, plus it cooks more quickly saving both time and energy costs to boot.
Ring the changes
White cheese has long been the traditional mainstay of pizzas, but adding some colour can make your school pizzas a bit different. OK, not strictly a cost saving, but adding coloured cheddar to your usual cheese blend will not only enhance the appearance of the pizza and help you sell more, but it’s swap you can make without compromising on taste or the price.
If you want to introduce a premium offer for your school dinner menu, how about mixing your pizzas up with a tasty cheese rope to give a fabulous, cheesy stuffed crust offer that is sure to bring students back for more.
As food technology has developed, there is now a much wider range of cheese and dairy product blends and options which offer school caterers quality and functionality while also helping to balance the books.
Get in touch with us today about how we can ensure your lunchtime pizzas are top of the class.
