The awards will be officially presented at the end of the academic year in Summer 2023. There are nine awards including the Catering Team Champions which will be given to a catering team that showcases real dedication to the food it provides.
There are eight other categories including Kindness & Community Award, The One Show’s Rising Star, Sustainability Star, Youth Activist of the Year, Early Years Award, Food Educator of the Year and Governor or School Leader Food Hero.
Starting in 1906, Britain has the oldest school meal system in the world. It now has a workforce larger than the Royal Navy and Air Force combined, serving nearly five million meals every day, which equates to about 41 meals per second.
Speaking about the launch of the Awards, Oliver said: “We need to show big love to the food educators, teachers and catering teams that work so hard 190 days a year to feed our kids and teach them about the joy of food.
“I truly believe schools are our secret weapon. From the food they serve to the cooking skills they teach kids, they lay the foundation for children’s health and wellbeing, as well as their academic success and future productivity. These awards are all about celebrating what is brilliant in our school and wider food systems.”
The team of judges includes Mary Berry, Joe Wicks and Greg James. LACA, the school food people chair Brad Pearce as well as Judith Gregory and Jeanette Orrey will be involved as expert panel advisors. In addition to a golden spoon award, winners will also get some ‘money-can’t-buy prizes’, from books to kit out a school library to celebrity cooking classes.
The Good School Food Awards are open to nurseries, pre-school, primary and secondary non-paying schools and individuals who work in these schools. Applications need to be made via: www.jamieoliver.com/schoolfoodawards.
Nominees from across the UK will be shortlisted by the judges from April 23rd when applications close. From 26th June, the winners will be unveiled on The One Show, in the Sun and on Heart FM, the awards key media partners.