Packed Lunch and Teas

Please note due to allergies we are a 'No NUTs Allowed' nursery.

Please note we are unable to heat up or cook food that is bought in for a packed lunch/tea

In September 2025 the Government issued Government 'Guidance' that we have to follow and part of that guidance covered parents bringing in their own food for their child.  We are part of Birmingham Startwell Award scheme and below is their packed lunch/tea guidance, 

Startwell-Packed-Lunch-Ideas-Oct-2025.pdf

Please find below the information from the Government Website

Families may wish to provide food from home and some children may need to bring their own meals and snacks for medical or cultural reasons. Having a food and nutrition policy in place and communicating this to parents and/or carers can help them to understand your regulatory obligation to provide healthy, balanced and nutritious food to children and encourage healthier food choices for packed lunches.

It is important to ensure that food provided from home aligns with the healthy options offered by the setting, so that children receive consistent messages about nutrition.

Food safety and hygiene

All foods brought from home should be checked for potential allergens so that the risk of cross contamination is reduced.

All food served to children must be prepared in a way to prevent choking. The Food Standards Agency has 2 posters on how to prepare food safely to avoid choking.

Additionally, providers should communicate with parents and/or carers about best practices for packing lunches and other food brought in from home, including tips on keeping food safe and fresh.

Parents and/or carers should be encouraged to:

• Ensure the food is suitable for their child’s individual developmental needs and prepared in a way to prevent choking.

• For perishable items that should be kept cool, pack food in insulated sealed bags. If ice packs are unavailable, the ‘4-hour rule’ can be applied. This rule allows food to be stored outside of chilled conditions for up to 4 hours, but this should only be done once during the entire storage.

• Clearly label their child’s name on the lunch bag and detail the contents.

• Pack foods that can safely be kept at room temperature if there is no refrigerated area for storing food brought from home. The Food Standards Agency provides 27 advice on Listeria which has examples of ready-to-eat foods that should be eaten within 4 hours of removing them from the fridge.

Providers do not have to provide refrigeration for packed lunches of children. Likewise, providers are not required to reheat food brought in by children. The Food Standards Agency has further guidance on food safety management procedures for small businesses and childminders which will support settings to follow food safety and hygiene procures when food is brought in from home.