Culinary tour – A look behind the scenes at our catering partner AGAPE

At the beginning of January, we had the opportunity to take a culinary look behind the scenes of our canteen partner AGAPE and sample an authentic lunch.

Our caterer is a non-profit initiative of the Flemish government with the aim of providing healthy meals exclusively for young and older children. AGAPE now supplies over 400 schools every day.

In compliance with strict hygiene regulations, we were given permission to explore the entire process chain of our supplier. We were given a tour of the facility, from the receipt of deliveries to interim storage and the preparation of vegetables, meat and side dishes. An impressive 36,000 meals leave the AGAPE kitchen every day. Food processing is extremely gentle, for example frozen vegetables are heated in a steamer instead of an oven. Mashed potatoes, pasta and soups are prepared in large containers, while meatballs sizzle on an impressive grill. The finished meals are pasteurised in tunnel-like machines to ensure their shelf life.

AGAPE works around the clock from Monday to Saturday in shifts to ensure reliable deliveries to schools and nurseries. A dedicated transport system ensures optimal delivery.

After the tour, we were treated to a delicious lunch and returned to school with satisfied tummies. Even our youngest guest enjoyed the specially prepared meal.