Oliver plea for school meals investment

More than four in ten (41.4 per cent) primary age children are now eating school lunches, up from 39.3 per cent last year, according to statistics published by the School Food Trust (SFT) and the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA).

There has also been a minimal rise in secondary schools, where 35.8 per cent of children are now eating school meals, up from 35 per cent in 2008-09.

Oliver said he was "massively encouraged" by the figures, which he said showed the hard work of dinner ladies, teachers, parents and the School Food Trust, "even with stretched resources".

It was important that the figure kept rising, he said.

"Some people in government might look at the figures and think that it's now time to take the foot off the gas because it's a success story," he said.

"That would be completely wrong. Now is the time to move up a gear. This is the time for both education and health Departments to invest in those schools who still have problems with lack of training for dinner ladies or who suffer from having a dining area that's too small or uninviting.

"Now is the time to ensure that life skills education, including teaching kids how to grow food and cook it from fresh, is compulsory for all primary and secondary school kids.

"Investment now saves lives and NHS billions in the future. We're on the right track with school meals."

The school meals revolution was kick-started by Oliver who ran a campaign five years ago for better quality school dinners.