‘I cooked it!’: meet the schools where pupils grow, pick and cook their own lunch

Zuriel, left, and Ali discuss the school lunch at Greenside primary, which Ali helped to cook. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

Six-year-old Zuriel stood in the school lunch queue and looked at the vegetable noodles, steaming on the counter. “I don’t want to eat that,” he murmured. “There are things in it I’ve never tasted before.”

Seven-year-old Ali, standing nearby, overheard. Bursting with pride and eager to reassure, he exclaimed: “But I cooked it this morning. The vegetables are really fun and exciting. It’s delicious.” He looked into Zuriel’s eyes. “Honestly.”