Do you remember what your school lunch consisted of? From reheated pizza squares to sandwiches that were still frozen in the middle, many students opted to bring lunch from home rather than sample the latest cafeteria mystery meal.
One Middle Tennessee school district is working to change that perception by investing in professional training and equipment that allows cafeteria staff to prepare meals using fresh ingredients.
At Franklin Special District, a multiyear investment in scratch cooking, professional training and innovative kitchen equipment is giving cafeteria employees the tools and skills needed to prepare more meals from scratch.
FSD is the first school district in Tennessee to install Firex automated electric tilting braising pans
in every school kitchen. The advanced commercial equipment helps cafeteria teams efficiently prepare large quantities of food while maintaining quality and consistency.
Valued at approximately $20,000 per unit and purchased through grant funding, the Firex units can prepare large batches of sauces, soups, pasta dishes and other menu items while automating much of the cooking process.
The equipment also reduces the need for constant monitoring by kitchen staff. Features include automatic stirring during the cooking process, which helps prevent food from sticking or burning while freeing employees to focus on other tasks.
“Over the past five years, we have worked hard to secure the funding needed to bring more scratch cooking into our school cafeterias,” said Robbin Cross, FSD's food and culinary services supervisor. “By combining grants totaling more than $1 million, we have been able to provide training, better ingredients and now the equipment needed to support these efforts in our schools.”
Since 2019, FSD has secured numerous grants aimed at creating healthier meals for students. The district has introduced new recipes in deliberate stages while developing employee skills and increasing the capacity of its school kitchens. Last year, FSD expanded its offerings to include scratch-made spice blends, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce and macaroni and cheese.
“Franklin Special District is leading the way by recognizing that successful scratch cooking requires skilled employees, well-equipped kitchens and recipes that take advantage of the freshest ingredients,” said professional chef Chris Fersch. “This equipment doesn’t replace staff, but it helps them use their time and talents more efficiently. That creates more opportunities to prepare quality food from scratch. Students are the ones who benefit, and FSD is providing a model that other school districts can follow.”
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Franklin Special District invests in cooking from scratch for student lunches
