The brand new kitchen was officially opened by JoJoe the Crow, Caterlink’s mascot, who was on hand to educate pupils about nutrition and food provenance.
Until now Caterlink chefs had to prepare meals for the children at a nearby school and transport the food. Fundraising activities and a contribution from the school’s own Parent and Teacher Association raised enough money to install a modern kitchen facility.
Neil Fuller, managing director of Caterlink, said: “We are passionate about providing children with freshly prepared school meals and delivering an efficient, personalised service.
“Having access to their own canteen means that the children will get a real sense of the different types foods and flavours being served, be able to interact with our chefs and learn about the importance of taste, provenance and food preparation.”
Judith Mackie, head teacher at Cookham Dean C of E Primary School, said: “There is growing evidence and research that shows that healthy school meals significantly improve the educational outcomes for pupils.
“We are delighted that we are now able to offer freshly cooked food on site that is well prepared, attractively presented and hot.
“The uptake has already increased and the comments are very favourable. Over the coming year we are planning on developing a kitchen garden area and it will be fantastic when the children can actually eat what they have grown.”