The Orchard House Gourmet Kitchen is led by Ms. Carmelina Vincelli, and her assistants Miss Marissa and Miss Nora. With Ms. Carmie’s extensive experience helping and managing catering centers and school cafeterias with the English Montreal School Board, our Gourmet Kitchen could not be in better hands!
Representative of the slow food movement, our purpose-built kitchen moves away from preserved foods and strives for a more traditional cuisine leaning on local farmers, sustainable fishing sources, hormone-free meat, seasonal foods and an overall nutritious diet. Our seasonal menu, always nut-free, is organic when possible, whole wheat, highly restricted in added sugar and salt, and validated by a dietician. Naturally, individual dietary allergies are taken into account.
Our Gourmet Kitchen further enhances the children’s educational experience at Orchard House:
- The monthly menus reflect the thematic units studied in the classrooms.
- The children are exposed to a variety of tastes, smells and textures from around the world.
- The children are informed of the nutritional values of the various power foods introduced.
- Our newly-launched edible gardens encourage the children to be part of the process of planting, harvesting and using the fresh produce in the kitchen.
- Our chefs act as resource and animators for our popular afternoon activities Orchard House Bites and Petits Chefs.
- As with the rest of the school environment, the use of plastic is consciously limited.
By finally welcoming the Gourmet Kitchen into Orchard House, we are now fully responsible of further nourishing the children’s bodies and minds through wholesome, nutritious meals and snacks.
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY |
| Penne with creamy tomato-zucchini sauce & red pepper slices | Tofu-broccoli stir-fry with Jasmine rice | Baked salmon with roasted potatoes & green beans | Vegetarian Shepherd’s pie with carrots | Turkey burger with pita, cucumber & yogurt sauce |
| AM Snack: | AM Snack: | AM Snack: | AM Snack: | AM Snack: |
| Yogurt with home-baked granola | Fresh apple | Mango smoothie | Banana | Applesauce |
| PM Snack: | PM Snack: | PM Snack: | PM Snack: | PM Snack: |
| Fresh pear | Baked oatmeal | Cheddar cheese & crackers | Hummus and crunchy vegetables | Home-baked granola bar |