School Food Fight

3rd March 2010, 11:35am

The new chairman of the School Food Trust Rob Rees says the battle to raise the uptake of school meals will continue to be the focus now he’s taken over from Prue Leith.

The general election is less than 90 days away and the new figurehead at the School Food Trust is ready with some fighting talk. He's not interested in party politics, though. He just wants to continue the SFT's crusade to improve school food and with it the health of the nation.

"I don't care what colour party is in place as long as they see the benefits of a healthy hot meal in schools for the consumers – our young people."

He adds: "The School Food Trust has made great progress already, introducing new nutritional standards and changing how school food is perceived.

"But there is still much to do to encourage more children to try healthier school lunches, to promote the importance of school lunch in tackling obesity and in improving the entire experience of lunchtime for young people."

In other words, the work of the SFT has only just begun and he sees his role as to continue to pressure politicians and encourage schools, caterers and children to give the new healthy menus a chance.

"It would be great to get more money from Government because the existing extra funding runs out in 2011.

"But if we don't get it that doesn't mean everything stops. We'll just have to find other ways to achieve our aims.

"I see it as a great honour to be given the opportunity to chair an organisation that is undertaking work that is so critical to the future health, well being and performance of our children and communities.

"We must now all redouble our efforts to ensure that children are choosing and eating school food and that local authorities, schools and caterers are giving food within schools the priority it absolutely demands."

Among the ideas he proposes are more 'closed-gate' policies among schools to stop pupils going off-site to buy food from take-aways, burger bars and shops.

"If you can't introduce a closed-gate policy, at least talk to nearby food vendors about improving the nutrition of the meals they offer. Even if it's just the chippie removing the salt cellar from the counter it's a move in the right direction."

He's not prepared to compromise, though, on the hardline stance taken by the SFT on the issue of the new nutritional and nutrient standards.

"It's not easy, and I won't pretend otherwise. It's a challenge for caterers, teachers and parents. But it can be done. Children can learn to choose and enjoy healthier meals.

"We have got to make sure that uptake rises and that the school meal standards are complied with."

He believes that the current economic climate and the threat to future public spending are creating a different operating environment for the school meals service.

"We need to look at using the regional levels of government – I believe they have a role to play.

"It's essential that I go out to talk to as many different schools as possible because there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to talk to the people locally to find out what might work for them.

"We must use the experience of local people because they are the experts in their area.

"There are 25,000 schools around the country and that means 25,000 different communities and each has its own challenges and solutions."

He will be putting his full weight behind efforts to improve the quality and quantity of data and research available to the SFT, because he sees this as necessary to continuing to spread the gospel of good school food.