The Ministry of Education announced that Koha Kai are a preferred Ka Ora Ka Ako supplier for the Murihiku region. This solidifies the achievements Koha Kai have gained through each “Training Program” (Gardens & Kitchens) and within our local Community.
All kura are different so we work together to find the best method of delivery suited to your needs. We can supply an on-site or off-site service which is end to end for both models.
1 Our kaimahi prepare kai based on individual class orders. These are needed every morning around roll call to ensure we provide the correct amount of kai. Orders can be emailed in via the template provided. Dietary requirements for each student can be recorded on the template and is the responsibility of Kaiako.
Nutritious menus are created with collective guidance from the Heart Foundation, tauira , staff and whanau within all of the kura we supply. All menus meet the nutritional guidelines set by the Ministry of Education for all suppliers of Ka Ora Ka Ako. If you would like more information about the nutritional guidelines, please clink on the link below.
https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Ka-Ora-Ka-Ako-Nutrition-Guidance-OCT-2020.pdf
We provide visual menus each term that are available for viewing online and in kura. Our
menus reflect the seasons and include produce we grow in our Training Program gardens.
We endeavour to support our existing ethos for hungry learners to engage in positive relationships with healthy, nutritious kai and seek to eliminate the stigma around those tamariki with food insecurities.
Koha Kai is committed to ensuring we can safely provide lunches to tauira who live with restrictive dietary requirements. Our menus are easily adaptable and currently include alternatives for Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Halal as well as Legume Free.
If you have any queries regarding dietary requirements for your tamariki, please don’t hesitate to contact Koha Kai at invercargill.kohakai@gmail.com.
2 Koha Kai will supply “class pouaka” (class boxes) which will be packed with lunches and dropped off by one of our Kaimahi at the agreed time, from the designated point, picked up by tauira and taken to classes. Once each class has finished their kai, they will return these pouaka along with any packaging or waste and utensils.
3 Koha Kai staff will clean-up, wash cutlery and collect any packaging and food waste.
Our commitment to sustainability and Papatuanuku mean we source recyclable, compostable and biodegradable packaging. Food scraps nurture our market gardens to produce the compost we need. We have year round production of vegetables, thus supporting our garden to plate concept.
Koha Kai works together with local suppliers first and engages with local charities and businesses to support our Murihiku economy.
We continue to work alongside our community with a number of groups to ensure each person is able to access fresh vegetables from Community Gardens around not only Waihopai but Murihiku also. We believe it is important for everyone to have “food security’ and are always seeking ways in which to enable our hapori to feel empowered by what they are able to achieve.
Our local representative visits kura, tauira, staff and whanau regularly to gain feedback, and maintain strong relationships. They then report back to our Ka Ora Ka Ako Coordinator who works closely with Principals and the Ministry of Education to ensure each kura is being supported and expectations are being met.
Online surveys for those staff, tauira and whanau who prefer, are available online and an email address for any queries is provided below.
Through our existing relationships with local suppliers and our own gardens, we are able to trace all kai used from paddock to plate.
Our Food Control Plan is where we maintain strict records of the journey our food has taken right up until it is safely distributed. This is audited internally and externally with local councils as well as MPI.
Want to know more? Please contact us and
we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.