earlyyears.teachwire.net
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nursery business
Providing nutritious food is a vital part of a nursery’s role, but it’s an
area in which many settings struggle to shine. Get it right, and you
can get a head start on the competition, says
Nigel Denby...
MARKETING
WITH YOUR MENU
our nursery needs a unique
selling proposition, or
USP, if it’s to compete in
an increasingly crowded
sector. Your USP is that
essential difference in your marketing
messages that sets you apart from the rest
– and it could be, literally, yours on a plate.
Your setting’s food offering says
more about your understanding and
knowledge of children, their health and
care needs than almost any other service
you provide. Get it right, and your worries
about occupancy could be a thing of the
past. Think about it: you’ll rarely hear a
mum telling her friend that the nursery
helped her toddler learn to tie his shoe
laces, but just see what she’s saying when
the nursery manages to get her son to eat
Brussels sprouts, sardines or curly kale!
FOOD IN
EARLY YEARS
The early years are when children learn
about their relationship with food, develop
lifelong preferences and lay down the
foundations for their adult health. For those
children in full-time daycare, the greatest
influencer for food is the care provider. If
you’re a parent, there are few more emotive
subjects than how well your child eats
when it comes to their wellbeing. Issues
range from the latest weaning techniques, to
concerns over whether little Johnny has a
dairy intolerance to whether he will become
Y
malnourished if he refuses to eat broccoli,
and all can cause a great deal of anxiety.
This is exacerbated by parents feeling
increasingly isolated and unsupported
when it comes to feeding their children. The
extended family on the doorstep is more
often than not being replaced by childcare
providers. Yet, in a recent Mumsnet survey of
parents, 66% said they were unhappy about
the quality of their child’s nursery food.
All of which means if you can make
your food offering stand out from the
crowd, you’ll give parents a great reason
to choose your setting. The good news
is that getting food and nutrition right for
the under-fives isn’t rocket science – here
are some tips on ensuring your menu is
worth shouting about...
