Carillion's Sue Knight, who works at St. John’s CE Primary School, in Dukinfield, part of its Tameside council contract, has won a place in the final of School Chef of the Year on March 2.
Knight, who won the North West heat, will be cooking-off against seven other chefs from around the UK.
Knight's winning menu, which she will cook again in the final, is chicken, leek and spinach tart, spaghetti vegetables, and herby-diced potatoes, with a vinaigrette sauce for the vegetables. The dessert is chocolate and orange panacotta, with spun sugar and caramelised orange.
If that menu sounds like one you would find in a good quality restaurant then that demonstrates the skills that are on show in school kitchens up-and-down the country.
However, the competition is not just about coming up with a fancy menu.
The rules make sure each menu is one that can be served in a school. For a start each portion, main and dessert, cannot cost more than £1.30p, must comply with the School Food Standards and have been produced in 90 minutes.
Knight has worked at St John’s school for six years and now runs the kitchen, preparing 175 meals a day. She says that over the past six years, school meals have changed and children’s palates have become more sophisticated. For instance, lighter curries are now a regular part of the menu.
She also highlights how achieving the right mix of fruit, protein and carbs is important. The menu that won her a place in the final includes chicken that provides a healthy portion of protein, while the spaghetti vegetables are a fun way of getting children to eat veg.
