Young People’s Healthwatch Paediatric Menu Tasting Event

The report describes a paediatric menu tasting event held on 14 October 2015 by Healthwatch Kingston’s Young People’s Healthwatch team at Kingston Hospital NHS Trust. The purpose of the event was to gather feedback from young people on a newly developed hospital menu for children, focusing on aspects such as taste, nutritional value, smell, convenience, and value for money.

They involved a group of teenage volunteers aged 13–14  in this initiative. These young people had previously reviewed the draft menu during an earlier visit and were invited back for the official launch to taste the food and provide further feedback. 

During the event, hospital catering staff explained how meals are prepared, served, and costed, noting that meals cost approximately £2 per patient and about £6 per day in total. The menu is designed to meet specific nutritional guidelines and calorie requirements. The young participants generally found the main dishes, such as pasta bakes and meat pies, to be of good quality, although some noted an unpleasant metallic aftertaste in the vegetables. 

The group praised the redesigned menus for being bright, colourful, and easy to read, with clear text and engaging graphics. They also positively received the availability of flexible meal options, such as snack boxes for children who did not want a hot meal. These snack boxes, which included items like sandwiches, fruit, jelly, and snacks, were considered practical, appealing, and suitable for patients with smaller appetites.

In addition, the young people were impressed with the range and quality of desserts, particularly cakes and puddings. However, they suggested that more healthy options, such as fresh fruit or fruit salads, should be included alongside these items to provide better balance. 

Overall, the event demonstrated the value of involving young people in evaluating hospital services, and their feedback highlighted both strengths of the menu—such as taste, presentation, and flexibility—and areas for improvement, particularly regarding vegetable quality and healthier dessert options.