How can we help you?

Our on-site chefs create fresh, balanced meals daily, aligning with the Early Years Guidelines endorsed by the Department of Education and Public Health England. We serve breakfast and a two-course lunch and dinner. We also offer the children a morning and afternoon snack. We work alongside families to support them with alternatives for allergies, intolerances, and cultural preferences. Our menu features a blend of plant-based options and sustainably sourced white meat and fish dishes, ensuring every child receives wholesome, nourishing meals that support their growth and development. Explore our N guide to food.

Food deliveries occur regularly throughout the week as we only cook with fresh and natural ingredients. Meals are prepared by our on-site chef every day. Have a look at our menu to see what the children are eating this week!

If a child refuses to eat what is being served, we will always offer an alternative, but we will first try to encourage them to taste new foods. Early years guidance suggests that children often need to try new foods up to ten times before they become accustomed to the change in taste and texture, and so don’t be disheartened if it takes a bit of time. We repeat and rotate dishes on the menu in order to speed this process up and establish familiarity.

Yes, we can provide vegetarian and vegan-friendly options at N.

We leave the decision to you -  you can either express to bottles that our educators will give to your baby or pop back in throughout the day to feed your child in the N cafe.

Yes – we provide formula of your choosing to infants under one year old.

Yes - if you'd prefer to provide expressed milk, we'll be able to give this to your child instead of formula.

Yes, we will follow either baby-led weaning, spoon-fed weaning or a combination approach. We will follow your lead from home and we will work together on this exciting food milestone!

As soon as you enrol at N, your child’s allergy information is given to our chefs and flagged on your child’s N app profile. We also use colour-coded allergy bowls and every room has allergy information on the walls for the team to see. If your child has a severe allergy, it is crucial that you let us know as soon as possible so that we can arrange a meeting with the senior management, kitchen and your key person to make an action plan.

Our menus do contain allergens because the NHS advises that all allergens should be introduced regularly from 6 months and that delaying the introduction of allergens can increase the risk of developing an allergy. We do, however, have processes in place to ensure that a child with a diagnosed allergy is not exposed to their allergen.  

We cannot guarantee that our nurseries are completely free of all known allergens. However, we have specific processes in place to ensure that a child with a diagnosed allergy is not exposed to their allergen. We don’t at present use nuts in our menus and we do ask parents and team members not to bring nuts into the nursery. We also ask that you don’t bring in any medications including Arachis Hypogaea or other nut oils. However, many foods are labelled as having ‘traces of nut’ and ingredients with these warnings can be used in the nursery unless a risk assessment specific to a particular child indicates otherwise.

We do offer a halal menu in some of our nurseries. Speak to your nursery manager or the Admissions team to find out whether your nursery does.

We’ve made the decision at N not to serve red meat to support both children’s health and environmental sustainability. Red meat is often high in saturated fats, which can impact heart health, and its production has a significant environmental footprint. Instead, our menu focuses on plant-based proteins, white meats like chicken, and fish - all nutrient-rich options that provide essential protein while being lower in saturated fats. We ensure children receive balanced meals by pairing iron-rich plant-based foods with vitamin C sources to enhance absorption. Additionally, we do not serve processed meats such as bacon or sausages due to their high salt content. Our chefs use natural herbs and spices to create flavorful, nutritious meals without added salt, supporting healthy eating habits from an early age.  

The NHS guidance is that all allergens should be introduced from 6 months and that delaying the introduction of allergens can increase the risk of developing an allergy. Once introduced and if tolerated, allergens should continue to be offered as part of a baby's usual diet (to minimise the risk of developing an allergy). During the virtual home visit, if the child is over 6 months old and in the weaning process, we will work together with the family to review which of the 14 main allergens have not yet been introduced to the child. We will document, review, and keep this information up to date throughout your child’s journey at N. We encourage families to offer foods containing the 14 allergens  to their child before they start nursery, to help with a smoother transition.