Andy's lunches are going down a treat at Bodriggy

A HAYLE school has seen the number of its children eating school meals rocket after it brought in its own chef to cook fresh food in-house.

Bodriggy Academy now serves locally sourced chicken, meat and fish along with fresh salad and vegetables.

Head teacher David May and local chef Andy Robinson told the school governors they could provide fresh, local food for the same price as they were paying before.

After just two weeks at the school, Andy has seen the number of children eating his school meals jump from 90 to more than 150 – more than half the school's 280 pupils.

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Everything is cooked fresh with all the meat coming from a local butcher and the fish from Newlyn.

Main meals are provided with free soup and salad bar and the school has introduced a number of other innovations. Each morning Andy opens the kitchens so children at Bodriggy's Breakfast Club can watch him cook the day's food.

He has also just run his first Cookery Club for pupils. And his food is going down so well it has even got the teachers hooked.

Mr May said: "Andy was here on trial and we told the governors we would aim to get 150 children eating school meals but we have passed that inside two weeks and now we're going for 200, so we're definitely keeping him.

"The children absolutely love it and they love Andy. I've also now got ten staff having dinners every day and previously that was zero. That has the added benefit of the children and their teachers eating together."

Chef Andy, who previously worked at the Old Quay House, said: "I have a young family so I wanted a job that fitted in around that.

"I told the school I could make fresher, healthier meals for the same price. The local produce is actually cheaper, it's just time consuming for me and my team."

Andy has also introduced a tasting table for the children to find out about what they are eating and try it before lunch.

Mr May added: "Because we're an academy we don't have to follow school guidelines about food.

"But I think that means we can do it better than everyone else, and Andy is proving that."