Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam/ Wrexham County Borough Council Neuadd y Dref, Wrecsam. LL11 1AY Guildhall, Wrexham. LL11 1AY DX: 721924 - Wrexham 4 www.wrecsam.gov.uk  www.wrexham.gov.uk Cyfnewid Testun/Text Relay: 18001
	Eich Cyf/Your Ref
	Ein Cyf/Our ref		SR
	Dyddiad/Date		9 August 2019
	Gofynner am/Ask for		Simon Roberts

Dear Ms Finch-Saunders

Petition P-05-865 Guarantee fully plant-based options on every public sector menu to protect the rights of vegans and for our health, the environment and animals

I refer to your letter dated 5 August 2019, that has been passed on to me to respond.

Wrexham School Meals offer a vegetarian main meal option every day in both primary and high schools, and we have done so for many years now. Filled jacket potatoes and vegetarian sandwiches are also available daily. The primary school menu is certified as fully compliant with Welsh Government nutritional standards, and the analysis includes all menu items, including the vegetarian options.

Vegan options are more limited, and we are keen to introduce more choice in this area. However, we are restricted for a number of reasons. It is not currently possible for us to offer a full vegan menu, which offered a range of choices that pupils would be happy to take, and that would meet the nutritional requirements, particularly for protein, iron and calcium, that we must meet in order to remain compliant. While we offer a range of fruits and vegetables at all our schools daily, many of the vegetarian products on our menu, including Quorn, are not suitable for vegans, usually because they contain milk, milk protein, egg or cheese. We have also found that some brands of baked beans are not even suitable.

Our vegetarian sausages and vegetable fingers currently on the menu are suitable for vegans. We have also recently trialled a Country Vegetable Bake that is vegan, and the positive feedback we received from pupils means that we will introduce this item on our next new menu in November. We will continue to try to source suitable new items, and introduce them where possible.

The other building where we provide catering is the Courtyard Café in Wrexham museum. Here a variety of vegetarian options are available on a daily basis. The menu also states that customers can ask if they have any special dietary requirements so that vegans can be catered for on request.

I trust this information is of assistance, but should you require any further advice, please do not hesitate to contact the Business Support Section at HESupport@wrexham.gov.uk who will forward your enquiry to the relevant officer.

Yours sincerely

Simon Roberts

Head of Service - Assets