Interview with Mr Didier Delhoux, Manager of the Canteen

The start of the new school year 2020-2021 hasn’t been easy for the services of the APEEE, who had to face a serious challenge in terms of management. Today we review the situation with Mr Didier Delhoux, the manager of the school canteen, who answers our questions.

What was the main challenge to overcome for this atypical and somehow rushy start to the new school year?

The challenge was to maintain the canteen service and avoid having to suspend it, as unfortunately has been the case in several schools. To do this, several specific measures had to be put in place in collaboration with the Wallonia Brussels Federation, which approved our approach to the management of the Covid-19 infection risk. We had to implement these measures in record time – only one week after the official publication of the Belgian authorities' instructions! - in collaboration with the School and especially with those responsible for its security, in order to be able to continue to provide a correct and safe service for the children.

Could you describe to us the main safety measures that had to be adopted?

We have had to implement changes at several levels, particularly to ensure social distancing. For example, in order to be able to specifically serve the 1st secondary classes, which are considered as 6th primary classes by the Belgian Federation and therefore for which there is no compulsory social distancing, the teachers' canteen has been requisitioned.(N.d.R. upon the School authorisation, S1 students will seat by bubble as the rest of the secondary classes, from Thursday 8/10)

The premises of the Cafeteria, whose service has been suspended, are open to secondary school tartinists, under the supervision of the School, both for distancing and for the circulation of pupils.

A traffic plan has been thoroughly studied and put in place, in particular by channelling pupils and grouping them by class level; pupils access the Canteen in groups, following a route marked out by barriers and where there are several dispensers of disinfectant gel.

The exit is via the emergency exits so that there is no crossing of pupils.

Then, it was necessary to adapt the services, in particular with the creation of 2 additional services: the S1 come at 12.50 pm, the S2-S3 come at 1 pm, the S4-S6 at 1.30 pm and the S5-S7 come at 2 pm. All this was done in order to have a fluidity in the service and to be able to respect it because we had to create, with the agreement of the Wallonia Brussels Federation, bubbles per level & per class, and therefore to have a distance of 1.50 m between the bubbles.

Also, to maintain fluidity and therefore to respect the social distance, the pupils can no longer circulate in the canteen, and must constantly use their masks as soon as they are no longer seated at the table. Table service is provided exclusively by the service staff.

Have there been any changes to the menu?

On the menu level there have been some changes necessary to meet the need to limit student traffic, so unfortunately we have suspended the salad bar, the soup bar, the green meal, which were very popular with the children. In any case, we are following the evolution of the situation with the canteen working group for their possible reintroduction.

As for the quality of the food, it hasn't changed at all, we still work with Belgian producers, with meat that is labelled, i.e. without antibiotics, and also for fish at the level of responsible fishing. We prefer fruit as a dessert, we try to have supplies of local and seasonal products.

After one month of service, what is your feeling about the operation of the canteen service?

I would like to reassure the parents that today, with a month's hindsight, we find that everything is going well, we have very positive feedback from the school and the parents.

Together with my colleague Paola Catalano and the kitchen team - whom I would like to thank for their enthusiasm and professionalism - we are doing our utmost to satisfy the children and continue to provide them with the quality they are used to.

I would like to thank the canteen working group and the school community, especially the pupils, for their tremendous support.

I also would like to address a message to the pupils who comply with the safety measures: a big thank! To all the others… We ask you to do your best, everyone’s active involvement is crucial right now.