Nicky Dastkhordi

Head Chef for Pinocchios, cooking for Eskbank, Lasswade and Gilmerton

Nicky has worked for the Pinocchio’s family for 20 years.  She is a qualified chef for over 30 years;  who is fully dedicated and passionate about her role.  Nicky’s food hygiene standards are exceptionally high;  this is acknowledged by the Environmental Health who praise her knowledge , skills and standards and who are responsible for assessing and providing her with annual Food Hygiene Pass certificates. Nicky cooks for two of our other nurseries and maintains the same high standards of hygiene and service to these children.  She is a mentor to the other Pinocchio’s chef’s, supporting them with menu ideas, hygiene, paper work and stock ordering.

She prepares healthy and nutritious meals using our fruit and vegetables from our nursery garden.  When the  fruit or vegetables are ready to be harvested, she consults with the children what they would like her to make with them. This can vary from beetroot soup to carrot cake. Nicky is very passionate about ensuring that she involves the children in planning the monthly menus. Each month she will ask the children, staff and their carers for any requests.  The rooms highly if they would like a theme of food from another country IE Chinese new year or Burns days etc..

Nicky caters for children who have allergies, our families are really thankful for her dedication to ensuring their children have their dietary requirements acknowledge and supported.

She regularly updates her Food Hygiene qualification and Allergy qualification.

She consults Setting the Table document, when planning all meals.

Nicky is loved by the children and is very famous for her ‘Chicken a la King’.  We have children who have left the nursery coming back to visit and to see if this is on the menu.

Nicky also supports on school runs, outings and Forest School adventures; preparing healthy packed lunches and food while doing so.

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