The fourth year of the event sponsored by Premier Foods, maker of McDougalls baking products, will see extra prizes handed out to the five schools which make up the final.
The contract is worth more than £2.5million over three years.
In the capital, Michelle Creed (left) from Broadford Primary School in Harold Hill won over the judges with her main course of a healthy Mac and cheese Bolognaise bake.
Currently families receiving Universal Credit (UC) are eligible, but this will change once UC is rolled out.
The menu, planned and designed by catering partner Chartwells, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, was given the highest standard after meeting a required set of criteria.
The food industry think tank plans for its #VegPower campaign, which will launch in January 2018 and feature on the BBC, to be projected on iconic buildings and promoted in schools.
The opening of Wavell School’s café and Year 7 dining hall marked the completion of a project that began a year ago as part of a joint initiative between LACA (Lead Association for Catering Excelle
Revie (left) will start her role in February 2018, meaning current interim chief Mark Ward will oversee a December in which the Trust expects to help a record number of children.
The £4m deal will see AiP service the south London schools, made up of primary, secondary and one special school, for the next three years starting from 2018.
Eleven members of staff achieved the qualification having started their NVQs in autumn 2015.