Prue Leith: School chefs can become food educators

This September marked one of the biggest changes in school food in a generation after the government expanded free school meal eligibility to all children from households in receipt of universal credit.

This is a landmark move that will lift 100,000 more children out of poverty and ensure they don’t go hungry.

As someone who believes fundamentally that food can help shape lives, I’m hopeful and excited at the chance to instil a love of delicious meals in our children.

Don’t compromise on school food quality

Historically, school food has not had a great reputation in our country. But these days many schools serve up incredible food, as part of the recognition that a good diet is key to being able to learn well.

I recently visited one such primary school in Staines, Stanwell Fields C of E, one of a growing number with an in-house kitchen team cooking beautiful food from scratch for their pupils.

The visit was organised by the charity Chefs in Schools to reward the kitchen team whom they’ve worked with for years. It’s a uniquely family affair.

Head chef Clare works alongside her father, who acts as her kitchen assistant, while her mother helps run the breakfast and after-school clubs. Both Clare and her colleague Lucy have children at the school.

The school serves a community where even before the universal credit expansion, 39 per cent of children qualified for free school meals.

We prepped, cooked and served a fresh menu of chicken and tomato orzo and Greek salad. The team is so dedicated, and they really do care. I loved the refusal to compromise on quality for younger palates.

Let them eat cake - just not every day

After prepping and serving with the team, I sat down to lunch with some of the kids. I watched the children at my table tucking into olives and feta and thought, how wonderful it is for them to be given the opportunity to taste new things.

With a major overhaul of school food standards currently taking place, I hope many more children will have that opportunity.

New guidelines should drive a nationwide shift toward nutritious, vegetable-heavy, freshly cooked food, stepping away from deep-fried and high-sugar options.

Now, you might wonder how that sits with my famous love of cakes? When I was offered the role of Great British Bake Off judge about 10 years ago, my only hesitation was my reputation for wanting healthy food in schools - and indeed everywhere.

In the end, I took it because I actually think baking is a great way to get into cooking. And I don’t think that because you like cake, it means you want to eat it every day.

I think it’s all about balance, which we are expecting to be reflected in the new guidelines. Baked goods will be allowed, just less often, and more fruit encouraged.

To help schools with this shift, Chefs in Schools have joined with other important charities working on school food to form the School Food Project. Together, they are advising and supporting the government on upcoming policies, which is a truly amazing thing.

Of course, policies are all well and good, but it’s how they are translated into schools that really matters.

How schools can empower chefs

Certainly, seeing the work done in the school kitchen at Stanwell Fields, I was struck by the potential we have for our school chefs to be more than chefs; they can also be beacons of food literacy, teaching children about food and encouraging them to try new things.

Yes, it would be helpful if there was more money, but what matters even more is to have headteachers and senior teams who care about food and employ and empower well-trained, enthusiastic kitchen teams who understand that feeding children delicious, healthy food is a key aspect of helping schools deliver high-quality education.

That’s why, through the work Chefs in Schools is doing, we want to help schools ensure every kitchen team in the country sees themselves as food educators - both in what they cook and how they can talk to children about food.

After all, how children learn about food in school and the importance of eating healthily is something that will serve them well all their lives.

So my message to schools is simple but vital: empower your kitchen staff to deliver tasty, nutritious meals to help children thrive in schools - and develop a healthy relationship with food for the rest of their lives.

Bon appetit!

Prue Leith is a patron of the charity Chefs in Schools. Schools can access support, training and advice at: schoolfoodproject.org.uk. For training support specifically for school kitchen teams, visit: chefsinschools.org.uk