A Liverpool primary school has teamed up with Tom Kerridge to take a step towards ending food poverty after he warned 800,000 children could go without food.
Children from Dovecot Primary School got the chance to team with Tom, a Michelin-starred chef, to help get children more involved and excited about food. The children were given recipes and food free of charge to make nutritious and healthy meals in the workshop which they could take home with them.
The workshops are part of a campaign set up by Tom to help end child poverty. He provided parents with information on where they can get help and why it is so important to have nutritious food. He warns that 800,000 children living in poverty do not qualify for free school meals.
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Tom Kerridge said: "With the cost-of-living crisis, the school food system is a fantastic way to feed the vulnerable children who are slipping through the cracks.
"Data shows that 800,000 children living in poverty do not qualify for free school meals, this needs to be addressed with the extension of free school meals provided to every child who is on Universal Credit."
The workshop allowed Dovecot Primary school to offer every child a free school meal that day. The aim is to help break down the stigma of free school meals and expand the eligibility criteria for them.
Headteacher at Dovecot Primary School, James Smith said: "It was also fantastic to be able to offer every child a free school meal today. Healthy, nutritious food is so important in supporting children’s well-being and education; therefore, this workshop today has been of incredible value."
All the children were given the opportunity to try Mexican-style chicken, carrot and courgette spaghetti, and tortilla pizzas, which were cooked up by the school’s catering team using Tom's Full Time Meals recipes.
Dovecot Primary School Chef, Laura Muldoon said: "Seeing children enjoy the food we serve at lunchtime is always incredibly rewarding. I’m passionate about ensuring every child is fed, and I’m incredibly proud to work as a school caterer, so seeing the pupils’ smiling faces during lunch service was the highlight of today."
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