Catering at Hereworth taken to a new level with renowned chef Paolo Pancotti

Paolo Pancotti has been appointed as the new Catering Manager at Hereworth School. Photo / Warren Buckland

For Paolo Pancotti taking up the role of Catering Manager at Hereworth School is very different to his previous roles.

Having started up Milk and Honey and worked at Craggy Range, as well as being joint owner of Molto Italian Kitchen in Napier and Dough Pizzeria, he brings a high calibre of experience for a school kitchen.

The renowned chef began at the school last October and said he liked the opportunity and the challenge to cook good honest and nutritious meals for the boys.

"It's very different. Kids are very curious and suspicious at the same time, I like to surprise them with food they've never tried before and I love the challenge. Children are genuinely honest in their feedback, they don't hold back at all whether it's good or bad."

As Catering Manager, he hopes to provide a real variety of food and different flavours and open young minds to try new food.

On an average day, counting all the meals, the school serves around 300 meals a day plus snacks, which ranges from a simple pasta Bolognese to a Thai green curry with mixed grain rice to fresh seafood buns with coleslaw.

As former chef for the English Rugby Union for six years, Pancotti knows a fair bit about nutrition and what the body needs to fuel different levels of activity and growth.

"We know more about food now, so I am trying to serve wholesome food that is balanced in a way so kids get the most out of it."

He is a firm believer in the simple rule that a plate should be ¼ protein, ¼ starch/carbohydrate and ½ vegetables and lives by the phrases; "We are what we eat" and "The army marches on its stomach".

"I want them to understand how important food is, and everything around it, growing your food, seasons in food, why it's important to use local suppliers and produce, reducing wastage and the food miles on food in general, talking about it all and asking questions, really."

He is currently working on creating a Hereworth School boys' chef club for boys who naturally love food and are already interested in it - discussing menus, planning the vege garden, manning the dining room with the kitchen staff, and giving feedback from other students.