Our kitchen

Cooking from scratch, daily.

Our Head Chef, Juan Ignacio Vidal Pizarro, originally from Argentina, leads a dedicated team of ten who prepare hundreds of meals each day to an exceptionally high standard. Working alongside Sonia Torres of Nutricentre, a qualified dietitian, the team creates varied menus that are both nutritious and enjoyable.

From freshly prepared international dishes and themed cuisine days to Morna's much-loved Sushi Fridays, lunchtime has become one of the highlights of the school day.

  • The Morna kitchen team in red and black chef's uniforms outside the school
  • Platter of sushi rolls on banana leaves for Sushi Friday
  • A poke bowl with tempura prawns and edamame on a dining room table
  • The buffet counter decorated with Japanese flags and lined with sushi trays
  • Hot buffet trays of roast vegetables, Brussels sprouts and chicken
  • Trays of sushi rolls and spring rolls at the buffet counter

Fresh produce

The Morna Garden Project.

Within our 10,000 m² school garden, we grow a wide variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, aubergines, lettuce, beetroot and onions, alongside over 50 fruit trees producing oranges, lemons, limes, avocados, plums, pomegranates and more throughout the year.

The garden is professionally maintained, while students can get involved through gardening and sustainability clubs.

  • Cherry tomato plants heavy with fruit in the school polytunnel
  • Carrots pushing up through the soil in the school garden
  • Pepper plants under netting in a garden bed with a hand-painted sign
  • Rows of young beetroot behind a hand-painted wooden sign
  • Cucumber plants climbing a frame in the school garden
  • Red cabbages growing in a raised bed under protective netting

Our own Morna Chicken Palace is home to approximately 50 chickens, providing fresh eggs for the school kitchens while giving students a valuable insight into sustainable food production.

  • Hens of different breeds foraging in the Morna Chicken Palace
  • Hens gathered at the door of their wooden coop
  • White, grey and brown hens pecking at the ground in their run
  • A brown hen crossing the sunny chicken run

Lunch options

Fresh, nutritious lunches for every age.

At Morna, our lunch arrangements are tailored to the different age groups across the school.

Children in EYFS enjoy a freshly prepared buffet lunch in their own dedicated dining area within the EYFS building, while Primary students enjoy our compulsory buffet lunch service in the main dining room.

Secondary students have greater flexibility, with three lunch options available: our freshly prepared buffet, the cashless cafeteria or a packed lunch from home. Students can choose the same option each day or combine them throughout the week. If a student arrives without a packed lunch or cafeteria order, a buffet lunch is automatically provided.

Whenever possible, students can also enjoy their lunch outdoors, making the most of our picnic benches and shaded seating areas throughout much of the year.

Buffet Lunch

Our freshly prepared buffet menus are carefully designed in collaboration with a qualified nutritionist to ensure a healthy, balanced and varied diet. Each day, students can enjoy a starter and main course, with vegetarian and vegan options available, alongside a fresh salad bar, bread and desserts, with an emphasis on fresh fruit and fruit-based choices.

Our menus change regularly to incorporate seasonal produce and, wherever possible, fresh ingredients grown in our own Morna gardens. They offer a variety of flavours and international dishes while ensuring students receive the nutrients they need to stay healthy, active and focused throughout the school day.

Monthly menus are shared with parents before the start of each month, allowing families to see what their children will be enjoying at school.

View Our Monthly Buffet Menu (PDF)

  • Sushi rolls topped with tempura prawns on the buffet counter
  • A kitchen team member in a red apron arranging trays of sushi rolls
  • Kitchen staff serving hot dishes from the buffet counter
  • Students queueing at the buffet counter, decorated for Chinese New Year
  • A salad tray of lettuce, sliced egg and black olives
  • The buffet counter under Peruvian flags, with hot dishes and salads
  • A chef serving paella at the buffet counter under Spanish flags
  • Fish and tomato skewers on the buffet counter under Spanish flags
  • Two Primary pupils at the buffet counter under Turkish flags
  • A lunch plate of rice, prawn stir-fry and curry with a wedge of lime
  • Buffet trays of rice and stir-fried dishes with plates ready to serve

Cashless Cafeteria

Our cashless cafeteria gives Secondary students the freedom to choose from a fantastic range of freshly prepared food, including made-to-order sandwiches with their favourite fillings, pasta dishes, jacket potatoes with a variety of toppings and much more.

Our Morna Lunch Service makes ordering simple. Parents or students can browse the menu, customise their choices and order in advance from a phone, tablet or laptop, or use one of the touchscreen ordering stations at school before 11:50 am for same-day collection.

Parents can top up accounts online and receive automatic reminders when balances fall below €10. Students simply collect their meals using their personal code, making the whole process quick, convenient and completely cash-free.

Access the Morna Lunch Service

Packed Lunch from Home

Secondary students may also bring a packed lunch from home. Refrigerators are available to keep food fresh, and microwaves are provided in the packed lunch room for students who wish to reheat their food. Dedicated dining areas provide a comfortable space where students can relax and enjoy lunch with friends.

The Snack Shack

A firm favourite at break time.

Our popular Snack Shack, run by Mari, is a firm favourite with students across the school. From homemade pizzas on Fridays and delicious empanadas to fresh fruit, chia mixes and a selection of healthy snacks, there is always something tasty to enjoy during break times and directly after school, before our extracurricular clubs begin.

Mari has been part of Morna for many years and is a valued member of our school community. She knows many of our students by name and helps make the Snack Shack a friendly and welcoming part of school life.

  • The whitewashed wooden Snack Shack under its sail shade on the lawn
  • The Snack Shack and picnic benches seen across the grass
  • Pupils walking up to the Snack Shack counter at break time
  • Pupils queueing at the Snack Shack under the sail shade
  • Mari behind the Snack Shack counter with a box of snacks
  • Mari beside the Snack Shack price board
  • A group of Primary pupils waiting to be served at the counter
  • Packs of seaweed snacks and baked nachos on the counter
  • Trays of cookies and muffins in the display cabinet
  • Trays of homemade pizza slices
  • Cups of chia pudding and yoghurt in the chilled cabinet
  • Bowls of kiwi with granola lined up on a table

Students in both Primary and Secondary can make purchases quickly and easily using their personal code linked to their cashless school account.

  • A pupil at the Snack Shack till while a member of staff serves
  • A pupil typing their code on the Snack Shack touchscreen
  • Mari using the till as a pupil pays with their personal code
  • The code and name search keypad on the cashless till screen

Pricing

2026–2027 term pricing by year group.

  • EYFS

    €540 per term (approximately €9.20 per day).

  • Primary

    €640 per term (approximately €10.90 per day).

  • Secondary

    €740 per term (approximately €12.70 per day). Secondary students may also purchase an individual buffet lunch for €13.70 per day.