Our new school menu is ready to book on ParentPay!
We’ve kept all your favourites and added some new dishes like broccoli and pea pasta in a creamy sauce with garlic bread and butcher’s Scotch Beef mince homemade cottage pie with roast potatoes and cabbage 
Mary’s Meals is calling on people in Edinburgh to help feed hungry children in some of the world’s poorest countries by signing up to its new fundraising challenge, From Dalmally to Malawi.
The charity feeds more than 2.4 million children every school day in 18 countries including Malawi, Kenya and Syria. The promise of a nutritious meal encourages children into the classroom where they can gain an education and hope for a brighter future.
This April, people can join its virtual challenge from Dalmally, the village in the Highlands of Scotland where Mary’s Meals was founded, to Malawi, where the charity served its first life-changing school meals in 2002.
Participants can take part in From Dalmally To Malawi in any way they choose from walking, running to swimming. The money raised by sponsorship from friends and family will help to feed desperately hungry children in school.
Those signing up to the challenge will receive a free Mary’s Meals T-shirt and will be invited to join an exclusive From Dalmally To Malawi online community where they’ll receive inspirational video messages and stories from Mary’s Meals.
Dan McNally, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “With Spring around the corner, April is the perfect time for setting a personal active challenge.
“Whatever miles you pledge, taking part in From Dalmally to Malawi allows you to follow the Mary’s Meals journey while helping us to reach the next hungry child. I hope as many people as possible join our challenge this April to show the true generosity of people in Edinburgh!”
By signing up to the challenge, people in Edinburgh will be helping children like Prisca from Malawi. Thanks to Mary’s Meals, she eats a mug of vitamin-enriched porridge every day that fills her empty stomach and gives her energy to learn.
Prisca says: “Mary’s Meals porridge helps me to excel in my studies and realise my dream of becoming a teacher. I do not feel hungry when in class and I listen attentively during lessons.”
To sign up to the From Dalmally to Malawi challenge, please visit:
https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/campaigns/from-dalmally-to-malawi
Judy Murray is encouraging people across Scotland to give to Mary’s Meals this winter – so that the charity can reach even more hungry children with its nutritious school meals.
The British tennis coach is supporting the Double The Love campaign – which will see donations made to Mary’s Meals until 31 January 2023 doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.5 million.
Judy says: “I am delighted to announce that donations to Mary’s Meals are being doubled this winter – meaning this wonderful charity can reach even more children with daily school meals.
“It’s game, set, match funding – so please give, if you can!”
Mary’s Meals, which was founded in a shed in Argyll, feeds an incredible 2,279,941 children every day in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, India and Yemen.
The promise of a meal at school attracts hungry children into the classroom where, instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education and hope for a better future.
But the charity has warned that the world is facing a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions brought about by conflict, climate change and Covid-19 – making its work both challenging and indispensable.
Judy took part in a Q&A at an event held at Glasgow Caledonian University on Saturday [12 November] to mark the 20th anniversary of the charity. Mary’s Meals’ founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, also spoke at the celebration.
Suzy Harley, head of supporter care at Mary’s Meals, says: “Every day, we encounter new children who desperately need our life-changing meals. And every day we find new ways of reaching them thanks to the kindness of those who believe in our mission. But it has never been more difficult to do so – and that is why we need your support now more than ever.
“Double The Love is an important opportunity for us to feed even more little ones. We are deeply thankful to Judy and everyone who is helping us keep our promise to the more than 2.2 million children who rely on our meals, while allowing us to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals.”
Thanks to the charity’s low-cost approach it costs just £15.90 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals every school day for a year. And, thanks to Double The Love, a donation of £15.90 made before 31 January 2023 will feed two children for a year. To find out more, visit marysmeals.org.uk/double.
The City of Edinburgh Council has become the first council in Scotland to achieve the Soil Association’s Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark award for all its schools.
The award-winning menus feature even more freshly prepared meals, made with seasonal and local produce as well as only farm-assured meat and free range eggs.
The three organisations that cater for Edinburgh’s schools – the Council’s in-house catering service, Amey and Chartwells – have been working with Soil Association Scotland for several months to ensure that all school menus across the city meet the bronze standards. This ensures dishes contain no harmful additives and that at least 75% of dishes are freshly prepared.
The bronze award comes at an important time for school food in Edinburgh, with free school meals for P1 – P3 pupils having just been launched and school meal uptake higher than for many years.
Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener, said: “It’s so important for our young people to learn about how food relates to issues such as health, the economy and our environment.
“Schools in Edinburgh are already working hard to achieve this and the Food for Life Catering Mark award helps demonstrate the vital role cooks can play in helping pupils understand the importance of good food.
“The bronze award is a fantastic achievement, and I think it’s important to note that this has been delivered in conjunction with the service delivering a free school meal to P1-3s. Not only are we delivering free school meal to our youngest pupils, but a better school meal to all our pupils.”
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Convener, added: “Achieving the Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark award for Edinburgh’s school food is an important way for us to reassure parents and pupils that school food providers in the city care deeply about the quality of the service they offer.
“I think there truly is no better option for lunch than a nutritionally-balanced school meal, and our cooks can be proud of serving fresh, tasty food to young people across the city.”
Soil Association Scotland’s Director, Laura Stewart said: “Achieving the Food for Life Catering Mark award across all Edinburgh schools has been a challenge for everybody involved, but what an achievement it is.
“How fantastic to think that every morning, in schools across the capital, hundreds of cooks are freshly preparing tens of thousands of meals using quality produce, helping to ensure that Edinburgh’s young people can benefit from fresh, tasty and nutritious food at school.”
