A NURSERY has received national recognition in the Nursery World awards for its food quality and the way it is integrated into the children’s daily lives.

Incy Wincy’s Day Nursery in Bedale was up against other high-quality nurseries from around the UK and director Annalisa James believes its success is attributed to their ‘holistic’ approach to food.

She said: “Food is an area we have focused on since we took over the nursery in 2013.

“It’s more than just ‘food on plates’, the children learn where their food comes from, grow it themselves, appreciate how it is used to create different dishes and experience different culinary styles to broaden their palettes.

“We work with local suppliers such as Carricks of Snape, Cockburns Butchers of Bedale and the Bedale Community Bakery to offer a seasonal menu of freshly-prepared food.”

Chef Rob Hartley cooks up dishes such as spiced paneer, chickpea and sweet potato curry and Moroccan lamb kebabs with tzatziki and flat breads.

An initiative has also been rolled out to allow parents to purchase ‘take home meals’ - adult-sized portions they can buy when collecting their children.