A chef at a London school has won a national award for her fully meat-free meals for pupils with autism.
Tracy Nwabia, who leads the catering team at Spa School Bermondsey, has won the Chef Champion Award at the 2026 Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards for her meals, which are all vegan or vegetarian.
The award recognises her dedication to creating vegetarian meals, which use a range of different textures, as these are often a tricky point for neurodiverse children which can affect their eating.
When presented with the trophy, she said: “I’m just speechless. I can’t believe I’ve won.
“I’m a mother and I just treat the children the way I would want mine to be treated. For some, their lunch might be the only healthy hot meal they have that day.
“Everyone here has different needs so we cater to them. Some want their food separate, some don’t like certain textures and so on. We’ll always give them what they want and help them try new foods.”
The Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards promote healthy eating in schools, and celebrate individuals and schools making a difference in food education.
Jamie Oliver himself said: “Tracy is everything these awards stand for - delivering caring, generous, brilliant service in schools, so that kids can go off into their future, full, in every sense.
“From working with individual students to grow their confidence in trying new foods, to creating fully accessible menus and driving school food uptake to over 94%, Tracy’s patience and dedication to the students makes her an unbelievably deserving winner of The Sun’s Chef Champion Award 2026.”
Tracy’s award also recognised the weekly cooking lessons she puts on, with pupils learning new meat-free recipes.
Pupils can also take home accessible recipes, and have a say in deciding on future menu items by voting on their favourite dishes.
The school keeps chickens on-site, with students helping to collect the eggs to use in the cooking.
The awards were judged by a celebrity panel including Mary Berry, Joe Wicks, Gladiators stars Montell Douglas (Fire) and Zack George (Steel), and Dani Dyer.
Speaking for the panel, Ms Dyer said: "As a mum, I know that getting children excited about healthy food isn’t always easy. What Tracy has created is really special because she’s made food something pupils genuinely look forward to.
"The fact that children feel involved, included, and excited about what’s on their plates says so much about the environment she’s built.
"Making healthy, meat-free meals feel fun and enjoyable every day is no small thing and Tracy should be incredibly proud."
Georgina Quigley, of Spa School, said: "Everyone at Spa is incredibly proud of the work Tracy has done. She ensures we have exciting, nutritious meals every day and has a great understanding of what our pupils need.
"Her understanding of autism and food means she works hard to design menus with a range of textures and tastes so there is something for everyone.
"Being meat-free never feels like a compromise. We could not be prouder that this hard work has been recognised."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Tracy has spent 13 years showing great school food is about more than nutrition. It can be joyful, inclusive and a big part of the school experience.
“For pupils with autism and complex sensory needs, food can be difficult, and the fact Tracy has built trust and excitement around mealtimes is a testament to her skill.”
