Prue Leith serving up meals to Rotherfield pupils

PUPILS at an Islington primary school got a special visit from former Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith.

The British and South African TV chef and restaurateur went to Rotherfield Primary School near Essex Road as part of her work as a patron with the charity Chefs in Schools.

The TV chef with headteachers Nia Silverwood and Mairead McDonnell and the school’s head chef Tiago Padilha

The charity was founded in 2018 to transform school food by replacing ultra-processed meals with fresh food cooked from scratch and training up school kitchen staff. It has since worked with more than 600 schools across the UK.

Rotherfield shares head chef Tiago Padilha, who was trained through Chefs in Schools, with Newington Green Primary School, both part of The Growth Learning Collective federation. The chef hosted the visit alongside headteachers Nia Silverwood and Mairead McDonnell.

“Being trained by Chefs in Schools completely changed the way I think about school food,” Mr Padilha said.

“Children deserve the same care, quality and respect that we would expect in any professional kitchen.

“It is a privilege to lead this work across both Rotherfield and Newington Green and to show that excellent school food can have a real impact on children’s lives.”