Cork restaurant to face its toughest critics yet as it expands into school lunches
The group, which feeds hundreds of people each week in Dwyers and in Seventy Seven on Grand Parade (formerly Soho), now wants to expand its business to feed the next generation, ensuring children have access to healthy, delicious meals every school day.
Prepared daily in Seventy Seven's city-centre kitchen, the new school meal service uses ingredients sourced directly from local producers in the English Market and trusted Cork suppliers. Schools can choose between fresh and hot meals, delivered ready to serve immediately before lunch, or meals that can be delivered in the morning and reheated before serving, which the group says will be 'ideal for staggered lunch breaks'.
'This expansion is about taking what we already do best, making fresh, local food and bringing it into Cork's classrooms,' said Rory Murphy, Director at Seventy Seven. 'We're proud to create more jobs here in Cork while continuing to support the local suppliers we've worked with for years.'
'As the government tightens nutritional standards, we are fully aligned with those ambitions and look forward to contributing to the positive impact of this programme,' said Tara Lying, Director at Seventy Seven.
The meals are free from sulphur dioxide and artificial preservatives, meeting high food safety standards and catering to pupils with allergies. Menus are nutritionist-approved, offering a balanced and varied selection of options, including vegetarian and special diet alternatives.
The group will also be preparing meals in their own Cork-based kitchens, instead of relying on industrial-scale kitchens, ensuring that the quality remains high through every meal.
By sourcing from the English Market and other local food producers, Seventy Seven says that it wants to ensure spending stays within the Cork economy — supporting independent butchers, bakers, farmers, and suppliers.
The expansion will also bring new employment opportunities for chefs, kitchen assistants, and delivery drivers.
The news comes after an announcement earlier this year that the hot meal scheme will now be rolled out across all non-DEIS, as well as DEIS schools, for the coming academic year, with the Government estimating a €62 million investment in the project.
Funding will be provided to the schools, which are then free to choose a supplier, in accordance with national legislation and EU directives on procurement. It opens the market for independent school lunch suppliers to enter the market, or, like Seventy Seven, a restaurateur who wants to expand into their market.
Needless to say, the children's menu will contain more than chicken and chips for school goers next year!
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