Chefs around the globe are celebrated on October 20, with one South Australian chef standing out not just for his culinary experience, but for his unwavering commitment to nourishing young minds.
With more than three decades of distinguished experience, qualified chef and South Australian local Miloš Marjanc has swapped aprons and traded in his chef’s hat to play an active role in dishing up healthy futures for children at Edge Early Learning Plympton.
Held annually on October 20, International Chef Day is a celebration of the noble profession, emphasising the importance of healthy eating and encouraging chefs to share their knowledge and skills onto the next generation.
With 16 centres across South Australia, Edge Early Learning provides quality care and education to children from 6-weeks to school age. While education is at the heart of Edge’s values, prioritising health and wellbeing, and actively promoting healthy eating and wellness also plays a significant role at its centres.
Each Edge centre offers nutritious meals daily made by in-house chefs, like Chef Miloš, ensuring that every child receives the essential nourishment and fuel they need for growth and development.
“I take a lot of pride in crafting not only healthy meals that nourish the body and mind, but also focus on finding that perfect balance where children enjoy eating,” Edge Plympton Chef Miloš said.
“The food I produce for the children follows a simple rule: great fresh produce with no artificial colours and no preservatives, just great fresh ingredients cooked to perfection on the day.”
Each centre has a qualified in-house chef like Chef Miloš, who crafts a delicious variety of healthy meals children enjoy including salads, soups, mains and desserts.
Some of the children’s favourites are focaccias, pinwheels, chicken curry, spaghetti and meatballs, and burgers that the children get to construct themselves.
“It’s important to create a range of recipes and meals that children not only find delicious but can also be involved in cooking them,” Chef Miloš added.
“When young ones take part in cooking, it’s not just about making a meal, it’s about fostering a sense of responsibility and independence. It’s about instilling a lifelong appreciation for wholesome eating from the earliest age to bolster their growth and development.”
“I like to think every dish I prepare is a small step toward cultivating a lifelong love for healthy eating. It gives me great pleasure to serve nutritious well-balanced meals every day to the children at the centre.”
Edge is leading the way in the early learning industry with its wellness offering, providing mindfulness activities such as yoga, and incorporating sustainable practices such as utilising bamboo nappies and wipes, sunscreen, and use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, all included in the daily fee.
Understanding that modern families have diverse needs and schedules, Edge’s South Australian-based centres operate up to 12-hours each day, from Monday to Friday. This allows flexibility for families and carers and also allows them to maximise their Child Care Subsidy (CCS) allocation.
Edge Early Learning instils a love for learning that goes far beyond the classroom and empowers children with the tools they need to succeed in school and in life.
With 56 centres nationwide, Edge Early Learning is delivering quality early education to more than 12,000 children and providing up to 2000 jobs across Queensland, ACT, and South Australia.
To find out more about Edge Early Learning, visit www.edgeearlylearning.com.au.
Media contact: emily@m10.com.au