Were reactions overblown?

Why work in school canteens?

Crafting menus for students

Healthy meals come at a cost

Can you make money as a vendor?

Wati: "I just wanted to kill time"

Why central kitchens work for schools

The "cooking on-site" model

Wati's experience as a former air stewardess 

Do we romanticise recess time?

Providing more nutritional control over food

Becoming a canteen vendor

“Meal prep is the least efficient way.”: Shawn

There has been a buffet of discussion as pre-packed food for students have been in the spotlight recently.

Some schools have had to turn to prepared meals from centralised kitchens because of shrinking student numbers and a lack of canteen stallholders.

But this has not been to everyone’s taste.

Bento boxes from airline caterer SATS made the news after pictures of unappetising servings at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) surfaced online in early January.

It prompted a flurry of discussion both on and offline, as everyone weighed in with their thoughts from the colour of the boxes – turquoise – to the dishes served to what pre-packed meals takes away from the recess experience.

The media was later invited to HCI to taste the food and speak to students, who gave reviews about the SATS pre-packed meals. The school’s principal said the menus will be refined, and SATS will relook recipes and food presentation.

Then on Jan 14, concerns emerged over food safety after 60 primary school pupils came down with suspected food poisoning after consuming food prepared by Gourmetz, the school’s caterer.

In this week’s episode of The Usual Place, I chat with two canteen stall operators, Ms Nurkusmawati Kasim, who runs a Western food stall in a primary school, and Ms Grace Lim, who operates a snack stall in a primary and secondary school, about their experience providing meals for students.

Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh, who is the group managing director of food conglomerate Commonwealth Capital Group, joins us to discuss whether there are alternatives to the central kitchen model.

Highlights (click/tap above):

​0:55 Were the reactions to Hwa Chong Institution bento boxes overblown?

6:17 Why Grace and Wati chose to work in school canteens

9:22 Crafting menus for students

11:54 Healthy meals affects operating cost

14:43 Can you make money as a canteen stall vendor?

18:25 I just wanted to kill time when my son’s at school: Wati

20:47 Why central kitchens work for schools

22:13 Why Shawn champions a model where prepped ingredients are cooked on-site

25:35 Wati’s experience as a former air stewardess is handy when feeding masses

27:24 Do we romanticise recess time?

32:24 Cafeteria model offers control over nutritional value of food

34:50 What would entice people to become canteen vendors?

37:03 “Meal prep is the least efficient way.”: Shawn

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producers: Elizabeth Law & Lynda Hong

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

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Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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#tup #tuptr

There has been a buffet of discussion as pre-packed food for students have been in the spotlight recently.
Some schools have had to turn to prepared meals from centralised kitchens because of shrinking student numbers and a lack of canteen stallholders.
But this has not been to everyone&rsquo;s taste.
Bento boxes from airline caterer SATS made the news after pictures of unappetising servings at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) surfaced online in early January.
It prompted a flurry of discussion both on and offline, as everyone weighed in with their thoughts from the colour of the boxes &ndash; turquoise &ndash; to the dishes served to what pre-packed meals takes away from the recess experience.
The media was later invited to HCI to taste the food and speak to students, who gave reviews about the SATS pre-packed meals. The school&rsquo;s principal said the menus will be refined, and SATS will relook recipes and food presentation.
Then on Jan 14, concerns emerged over food safety after 60 primary school pupils came down with suspected food poisoning after consuming food prepared by Gourmetz, the school&rsquo;s caterer.
In this week&rsquo;s episode of The Usual Place, I chat with two canteen stall operators, Ms Nurkusmawati Kasim, who runs a Western food stall in a primary school, and Ms Grace Lim, who operates a snack stall in a primary and secondary school, about their experience providing meals for students.
Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh, who is the group managing director of food conglomerate Commonwealth Capital Group, joins us to discuss whether there are alternatives to the central kitchen model.
Highlights (click/tap above):
​0:55 Were the reactions to Hwa Chong Institution bento boxes overblown?
6:17 Why Grace and Wati chose to work in school canteens
9:22 Crafting menus for students
11:54 Healthy meals affects operating cost
14:43 Can you make money as a canteen stall vendor?
18:25 I just wanted to kill time when my son&rsquo;s at school: Wati
20:47 Why central kitchens work for schools
22:13 Why Shawn champions a model where prepped ingredients are cooked on-site
25:35 Wati&rsquo;s experience as a former air stewardess is handy when feeding masses
27:24 Do we romanticise recess time?
32:24 Cafeteria model offers control over nutritional value of food
34:50 What would entice people to become canteen vendors?
37:03 &ldquo;Meal prep is the least efficient way.&rdquo;: Shawn
Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast">https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast</a>
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/v6DN">https://str.sg/v6DN</a>
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi
Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor &amp; Ernest Luis
Editorial producers: Elizabeth Law &amp; Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/5nfm?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/5nfm?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/5nfm</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/9ijX?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/9ijX?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/9ijX</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/cd2P?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/cd2P?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/cd2P</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/wvz7?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
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Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
--
#tup #tuptr

Natasha and her guests unpack the latest current affairs, every Thursday.

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday live at noon, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests. 

Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday live at noon, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.&nbsp;
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor &amp; Ernest Luis
Editorial producer: Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media