Catering & delivery for nurseries, schools and playgroups in Kent
We are Tuckbox & Tribe
Head chef - Jonty Hoad
Jonty has years of experience as a nursery chef with Tuckbox & Tribe, combining his passion for preparing fresh, locally sourced meals with his dedication to creating nutritious dishes. Before joining the team, Jonty worked in his family’s shoe business, serving local families for many years, making his current role a perfect fit.
Jonty is Level 3 HACCP certified and has implemented a robust HACCP plan in his kitchen. Tuckbox and Tribe’s kitchen is audited by Croner, a health and safety consultancy, and proudly holds a five-star hygiene rating from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. All catering staff are trained to Level 2 in Food Hygiene, ensuring high standards across the board.
Jonty is supported by his wife, Alexandra, the Tuckbox Director.
Alexandra has been running a small chain of early years settings and a forest school in Kent since 2018. Tuckbox and Tribe was born out of the success of her nursery kitchen and its well-loved menus. These tried-and-tested dishes are now shared with other settings, filling children’s bellies and bringing smiles across Kent.
Together, Jonty and Alexandra work alongside nutritionist Sophie Bertrand BSc MSc RNutr to deliver meals that are as delicious as they are nourishing.
Sophie is Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with a BSc Psychology degree, an MSc in Clinical Nutrition, founder of Sophie’s Healthy Kitchen, co-host of the Forking Wellness podcast and co-author of nutrition book ‘Forking Wellness’. Her non diet approach to nutrition has seen her work with individuals to develop a healthy relationship with food as well as specialising in pre and post natal and family nutrition.
Sophie has worked with leading brands in the food industry such as Tesco, Mondalez and Hello Fresh and she uses her Instagram page @sophiebertrand_ to share information around evidence-based wellbeing and a variety of recipes that are both delicious and nutritious.
The Tuckbox Team
Jonty Hoad
After a 30 year career working in Retail in Sevenoaks lockdown forced a complete change in direction.
After offering to help Alex at Tinkers and Tribe cook 12 lunches a day to ease the pressure on one of her managers, eighteen months later I was cooking 160 meals a day and delivering them to all the nurseries.
We’ve fine tuned the menus and created meals for the children that they enjoy to eat. My passion for food and creating dishes from around the world, as well as incorporating a large variety of vegetables has meant the children eat incredibly healthy and diverse meals.
In the last six months we’ve moved to a commercial kitchen locally and taken on a wonderful assistant, Emily, who has taken the pressure off and meant we can now also home bake a further 320 meals a week.
We’ve also recently started a monthly supper club to expand our catering to adults too.
We’ve are looking to expand the nursery food and are currently working on an exciting new menu with our nutritionist.
Emily Tierney
After working in a coffee shop for 11 years, I decided to take a new path in my career, and am thrilled to have joined the Tribe. I hold a strong work ethic and with the skills I have acquired from being in hospitality for many years, along with my enthusiasm for cooking, I am eager to learn and grow in this new role.
It’s clear to see that a tremendous amount of thought, care and effort goes in to making the entire nursery experience perfect for the children. I am excited to be a part of it and to see what the future holds.
At Tuckbox and Tribe, we create two menus each year: Spring/Summer & Autumn/Winter.
Carefully crafted by our Head Chef, Director, and Nutritionist, then given the seal of approval by our Tribe! Using fresh, local, and seasonal produce, our menus follow a three-week cycle, offering a variety of meals over a 21-day period.
Menus
We adhere to strict HACCP and food standard guidelines, with robust food safety procedures in place to ensure accountability and meet environmental health requirements. To provide extra peace of mind, we supply all settings with food temperature diaries to record serving temperatures.
Promoting healthy food habits in children from an early age is at the heart of our ethos. Our Head Chef collaborates with nursery leaders to create opportunities for children to grow their own produce, prepare meals, and even serve food where possible—encouraging a hands-on approach to healthy eating.
We also offer alternative menus to accommodate dietary, religious, and SEN requirements, ensuring every child can enjoy our meals. Speak with us about your needs, and we’ll be happy to cater to them.
How it works
Place Your Order
Ordering your delicious meals is quick and simple! Start by filling out our order form below and emailing it to us.
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Delivery Drop
Your meals will be delivered daily at a pre-arranged time, straight to your setting.
Food arrives in hot boxes, maintained at the correct and legally safe temperatures. Our driver will also collect clean trays and containers from the previous day’s delivery, ensuring a seamless process.
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Payment
Invoices are sent monthly, with seven days to settle your account. If you have any questions, our friendly Tuckbox team is always ready to help.
