If you live near Wittersham Church of England Primary School in Kent you could have a two course lunch plus a drink for £3. Produce is sourced locally and cooked on the premises but be warned, even although the plates are plastic and the seats far more suited to small bums, there's a two week waiting list so reservations are essential.
The Back to School Dinners scheme was the brainchild of two dinner ladies and as well as keeping their local community well fed, it has kept them in employment. The kitchen faced closure and their jobs were on the line. Judith Thornton, head teacher of the 127-pupil school explains: "We are only a small school and until recently the kitchen served another school as well as ours. When that changed we found ourselves with a problem. We needed to break even, so we put a flyer in the village magazine asking if people were interested in coming here for a school dinner and the response was immediate. For many it's a way to turn back the clock 60 years."
Some of the regulars have children or grandchildren at the school but many are just local older people who enjoy a good meal and the company of children. The reporter shared a table with chatty five-year-old Sara who said, "It's really good talking to the old people. They tell me about what they used to do and I tell them about what I did on holiday."
What a great idea isn't it. Children learn eating can be a social event and locals are guaranteed a slap-up meal. It's a win win situation and I congratulate the school for their entrepreneurship.
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