PARENTS have been joining pupils for healthy hot lunches as a school celebrates the success of its new chef and kitchen.

Heathlands Primary School in West Bergholt installed a £100,000 new kitchen last summer after the Government said hot lunches had to be provided in the first three years of school.

Essex County Council paid for most of the project, but it cost the school £15,000.

The school recruited chef Andrew Dennis and three catering staff and the facility was up and running last September.

Since then, parents have been invited on occasions to join children to taste the dinners for themselves.

On Wednesday, it was the turn of parents of children in Year 3.

Mr Dennis, a chef with 20 years experience, had his work cut out in cooking about 350 roast dinners for children across the school and the 30 guest parents.

Deputy head teacher Rick Cranfield said: “Every school had to establish some kind of hot food, whether it was done from a kitchen or bringing hot food in.

On some days about 350 of the 400 children at the school opt for hot school dinners.

Mr Cranfield added: “We are glad how much the children enjoy them and happy to give parents the opportunity to see what meals the children are having.

“They are saying howdifferent they are to school meals they had in their day.”

Mr Dennis, who previously cooked meals at a Brentwood golf club, said he was pleased with the high standard of meals now required in schools.

Bread is baked fresh at the school and food offered includes wholesome pasta and fish.

Mr Dennis sais: “These kids are my toughest critics – they keep me on my toes.”

A total of 12 schools in Essex were left serving packed lunches last September because they had not got adequate cooking capacity.

The Department for Education gave Essex County Council £3.2million to help fund school upgrades.

Healthlands was one of the 419 Essex primary schools which had new kitchen facilities built, while others upgraded their premises or bought new equipment.