Cherkizovo and Smenka renovate school canteen in Chelyabinsk Region

Cherkizovo Group and Smenka, a social initiative with a show on YouTube, have completed a major renovation of the school canteen in Ishalino (Argayashsky District, Chelyabinsk Region). It is the first time the canteen has seen a large-scale renovation since the school's opening back in 1974. We have created a comfortable modern space for students, where interiors will help them learn many useful things about healthy eating.

Canteen in Ishalino before renovation

The Krasnooktyabrskaya Secondary School was among three finalists in the canteen renovation competition held by Cherkizovo and Smenka in late 2023. Anastasia Klimovets, a student of the school, filed an application for the project. She graduated from the 11th grade this year and has applied for admission to a university. After the university, Anastasia intends to return and work at her home school.

Repairs to the canteen began on May 10. The old floor tiles have been completely removed and replaced with porcelain ones, ceilings have been repaired, new heating and ventilation systems installed. The kitchen has been equipped with a combi steamer, electrical wiring and lighting have been replaced and USB charging sockets added. New comfortable furniture has been procured.

Modern design solutions separated the food serving area from the seating area in the canteen. Furthermore, one of the areas in the room has been transformed into a cinema: children can watch movies using a projector on a wall covered with a special paint.

A total of 200 students who attend the summer camp have already appreciated the new canteen. Kids and their teachers were delighted with the renovated facilities. From September 1, the renovated canteen will serve all 500 students at the Krasnooktyabrskaya School. Not only will they be able to enjoy a hearty snack between classes, but they will also learn more about proper and healthy eating. Information boards for this purpose were designed in collaboration with Rospotrebnadzor’s Healthy Eating initiative, part of the Demography national project, of which Cherkizovo Group has been a partner since 2020.

Canteen in Ishalino after renovation

"We hope that our joint efforts will make schoolchildren feel more comfortable, add more positive moments to the learning process, and help them develop healthy eating habits. Supporting and promoting a healthy lifestyle is among the key priorities of our social activities,” commented Vsevolod Gribchenkov, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development at Cherkizovo Group.

The Cherkizovo Group and Smenka project to renovate school canteens was launched in 2022. Last year, school canteens were renovated in two other regions where the Company operates, the Penza Region and the Altai Territory.

"We could once again see that the environment has a great impact on children's motivation to go to school, and it is very easy to achieve, sometimes by merely painting the walls in more cheerful colors. As part of our endeavor, we consulted with students, teachers, and local residents. By uniting people who will use this canteen, we have proved that there is no need to wait for positive external changes – you can handle it with your own joint efforts," says Arina Nuriakhmetova, a cofounder of Smenka.

"Known for its socially proactive stance, Cherkizovo Group has had a long and fruitful partnership with Rospotrebnadzor’s Healthy Eating initiative. When we launched a large-scale special project "You are What You Eat", our partners from Cherkizovo were happy to support it. The project involves setting up dedicated information stands in renovated school canteens to raise children’s awareness of the principles of a balanced healthy diet. More and more children even in remote regions of Russia will enjoy the opportunity to have lunch and breakfast in a modern and comfortable environment, and at the same time learn important information about healthy eating that will be useful to them throughout their lives," comments Yekaterina Golovkova, a Rospotrebnadzor expert, Deputy Head of the Center for Hygienic Education of the Population, and information supervisor of the Healthy Eating project.