HCS 6th Annual Food Show is a big success

The food and nutrition department of Hampton City Schools (HCS) held its 6th Annual Food Show on September 23, 2026, at Andrews PreK-8 School. An estimated 200 students, families and guests attended the show to sample more than 20 new breakfast and lunch food items. Breakfast items included apple pockets, breakfast fried rice, carrot waffles, and egg, cheese & turkey sausage pockets. Lunch items included were chicken tinga, beef birria grilled cheese sandwich, stuffed crust pizza, falafel, mango jalapeno meatballs, cheesy bites, and, a ramen noodle bowl.

Student feedback from the food show will help guide the Menu Planning Committee as they develop the 2027–2028 school year menu. Student input is extremely valuable to the program, and the food show gives students a voice in selecting foods they would like to see offered for breakfast and lunch. It also provides families with an opportunity to see and taste some of the foods their children may be offered at school.

For the first time this year, community partners were invited to participate in the food show. Participating community partners included:

• Insight Enterprises, Inc.

• Colonial Virginia Council – Boy Scouts of America

• United Way of the Virginia Peninsula

• Hampton Clean City Commission

• Virginia Cooperative Extension

• HRCAP Head Start

• PEATC

• JBLE Langley School Liaison Program

“The food show continues to be an important way for food and nutrition services to connect with students and families, introduce new foods, gather meaningful feedback, and allow students to have a voice in the development of our school menus,” said Edwina Forrest, HCS director of food and nutrition services. “We are especially thankful to Andrews principal, Chanda , for partnering with us and helping make it possible for us to host this year’s food show at Hunter B. Andrews PK-8.”