St Aidan's High wins Best School Dinners 2009

The school employs a 20-strong catering team and 85% of pupils eat school lunches. There are three professional chefs and a baker. Year 7 pupils have a separate dining hall while sixth formers can use an all-day café. Pupils are allowed to leave the school premises at lunch time. The restaurants offer cashless catering and the eating habits of individual pupils can be tracked. A dietician analyses the meals for nutritional balance. St Aidan's High is sharing its expertise with other institutions. Two catering conferences for schools considering an independent catering service were a sell-out. A subscription website has recipes and five-day menu plans for healthy meals. Last year, the school opened a deli bar for soups, salads and hot baguettes for those who want a quick lunch before going to midday clubs. Head teacher Dennis Richards praised the work of Steve Hatcher, deputy head, who set up the project and whose vision and initiative continue to drive it, and catering manager Trevor Whitehead, currently in his ninth year at the school. Abbey Manor College, Lee Green, South-East London also received a Special Mention for their school dinners. NVQ catering students at this pupil referral unit, plan, prepare and cook the meals. They serve staff and pupils, 90% of whom have a two-course lunch. Chris Wainwright, School Food Trust, sponsoring the award said: "We're hugely impressed by the outstanding school dinners served by St. Aidan's High. They're an example of how school meals should be done. Schools inspired by St. Aidan's should sign up to our Million Meals campaign for help and advice on how to encourage your children to eat better to do better."