The Fair Grove High School food staff prepares meals for the students Tuesday through Friday. The entire staff plans events to serve the community proudly, and continues to fuel the school each morning before the school day starts including students and staff.
The food staff are known widely to be a hardworking group of eagles. Lunch and breakfast server Paula Gully has been serving food for 15 years, Nancy Davis has been serving for 13 years, Judy Holland for eight years, and Ashley Boyd for one. Katy Todd has been serving for a total of 25 years.
The entire lunch staff all play a part in planning the menus. Food service director, Tina McElroy explained, “There are so many components that go into planning, preparing, and cooking. School meals. The planning of the menus together as a team and I look over them to make sure they don’t need to be adjusted.” McElory continued, “Preparing a meal starts the day before, ingredients are gathered, they are panned up, or possibly thawed out depending on what is being served. We look back on records of meals that the kids like the best.”
As soon as the staff arrive at the school, they get straight to work and start preparing breakfast early in the morning. Breakfast cooking begins at 6:00 A.M. every morning, and lunch cooking starts at 6:30 AM. McElroy stated, “It takes about an hour and half to cook breakfast and about four hours for lunch. Not including prep time the day before we serve.”
When lunch ends, cleaning commences. Cleaning is not a set time every day it varies depending on what could be on the menu, McElroy added, “This all depends on what has been served for the day. On average the kitchen is swept five times daily. Cleaning is done throughout the day by doing dishes as we go and continues until at the minimum of 1:30 PM everyday when the cooks all go home. Then we start all over again in the morning.”
Fair Grove meals are a definite liking in the school. Elementary Assistant Principal Ryan Buffington stated, “I have always appreciated the school lunches at Fair Grove. A significant part of my enjoyment stems from the dedication and care exhibited by our kitchen staff, who are joyful and genuinely invested in the well-being of our students and staff.”
The Food Staff of the Eagles prepare food for Fair Grove events, everyday lunches, and early morning breakfasts to keep the community going.
