Healthy menu is a great hit (From Witney Gazette)

Healthy menu is a great hit

3:47pm Monday 6th March 2006 in Witney By Maddy Biddulph

GROWING fears about child obesity and TV chef Jamie Oliver's campaign for healthier school dinners has put what is on the menu under the spotlight.

But the popularity of Kingham County Primary School's 'Organic Fridays' has quashed misconceptions that children are only happy eating junk food.

Pupils have been going bananas for the healthy menu, with raw ingredients provided at a reduced rate by award-winning Daylesford Organic Farm, in Daylesford, near Kingham.

The weekly lunch at the school has proved so popular that there are more children in the canteen on Friday than any other day.

"The kids really like it and look forward to it," said Cherie Gregory, catering supervisor at the school.

"We usually have about 70 to 80 children signed up for meals in the week, and this goes up to more than 90 on Fridays," she added.

"We usually have about 70 to 80 children signed up for meals in the week, and this goes up to more than 90 on Fridays."

Cherie Gregory, catering supervisor

The rest of the week, the meals are supplied by Oxfordshire County Council's county facilities management team.

The school, which introduced Organic Fridays in November, is keen to promote healthy eating.

There are no burgers or infamous 'turkey twizzlers' Mr Oliver's bugbear on his TV programme about school meals and chips are only served once a week.

Ms Gregory said the special menu on Friday was more time-consuming for the kitchen staff, but it was a big hit with children, staff, and parents alike.

Pupil Hebe Way, ten, of Church Westcott, said: "I really like the organic lunches. I like the curry best, and the apple crumble."

Matthew Lewis, seven, of Kingham, said the meals were quite good.

"Sausage and mash is my favourite," he added.

Charlotte Gregory, 11, of Chipping Norton, said the organic meals were really nice, adding: "I don't have a particular favourite I enjoy them all."

Headteacher, Irene Beever, said the organic meals had helped children develop a taste for seasonal vegetables.

She said: "It is very popular. We have far more children eating our food on a Friday than any other day.

"It is encouraging them to eat lots of different vegetables which they wouldn't normally, like artichokes."