Award winning Chefs Bring School Dinners to Downing Street

Four of the country’s top school chefs served canapés based on their own school menus for the Prime Minister on Monday 11th November — part of a special event marking the Government’s new ambition to turn school food into a powerful tool for child health and nutrition.

Nathan Scarlett, Russ Ball, Alex Moody and Steven Cross, all winners of the Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards, dished up a series of bites, from chipotle bean tacos with guacamole and pink pickled onions, and slow cooked beef shin ragu with potato gnocchi, to barbecue jerk chicken with dumplings. While adapted for eating canapé style for the event, these are all meals served in the chefs’ own schools.
Nathan Scarlett and Russ Ball both came into their work in schools via Chefs in Schools, a charity that trains chefs to transform food, food culture, and food education in schools.

Dame Prue Leith, patron at Chefs in Schools said: “It’s wonderful to see the Prime Minister recognising that school food matters. What children eat at school shapes not just their health, but how they learn, behave and grow. For years, many of us have been arguing that good food should be at the centre of education, not an afterthought. If this signals a genuine commitment to improving the quality and reach of school meals, it could transform the lives of millions of children.”

Government commitment to school food

The Downing Street event heralded the Government’s renewed commitment to improving school food. As well as extending free school meals to all pupils whose households receive Universal Credit from the start of the 2026 academic year and rolling out an early adopter scheme for free universal breakfast clubs, the Government is currently undertaking its first review of the School Food Standards in over a decade.

During the event, Sir Keir Starmer spoke about the importance of partnership working between government and different sectors, highlighting food in schools as a key focus and dispelling the notion that children favour processed, low-quality food.

Interviewed by Dr Amir Khan for ITV’s Lorraine Show, the Prime Minister said:“ There is this myth that you can’t get your kids to eat good, healthy, nutritious food that’s often thrown at those doing school meals,” he said, “but that is not true. You can do it. It’s much better food, the kids like it and that is what we’ve got to do across the country.”

For the chefs, it was a chance to show the Prime Minister what’s possible when the new School Food Standards are met — and exceeded. “We’re not just talking theory,” said Nathan Scarlett. “The PM tasted exactly what children are eating in our schools. This is what the new standards can look like in practice, and it’s vital they see it, taste it and understand it firsthand.”

Chefs in Schools: Transforming school food and food education

Chefs in Schools is a national charity that provides practical guidance, onsite transformation programmes, and online training for school kitchen teams, while campaigning for lasting improvements to school food nationwide.

Nathan Scarlett, and Russ Ball, both made the move to working in schools through the charity. Both chefs are passionate about the impact of school food on young people’s long and short-term life outcomes. “Without good school meals, children can’t concentrate, they can’t learn,” said Nathan. “Investing in good school food is investing in children’s health, wellbeing, and ability to thrive.”

“For too long, being a school chef has been an undervalued career. Yet it is school chefs who not only provide our children with nutrition, but spark their imaginations and teach pupils lifelong lessons about food,” said Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive of Chefs in Schools. “To see school chefs showing off their skills in Downing Street, recognised by the Prime Minister and showcasing the breadth and depth of talent in school kitchens is a very special moment. Today, Government and the public can see firsthand the creativity and care in school kitchens, and can get a sense of how school food like this could transform children’s health, wellbeing, and learning nationally.”

Nathan’s journey: From foster care to Downing Street

Nathan’s story is a particularly striking example of how food can change lives. Growing up in multiple foster homes in South London, Nathan’s childhood was challenging at times, but through home economics lessons he discovered a passion for cooking. “Food became a constant for me — the one thing I could rely on. I could throw myself into it completely, no matter what was happening around me.”

Volunteering in kitchens from age 15, including Michelin-starred restaurant Chez Bruce, Nathan honed the skills that now define his work at Henry Cavendish Primary — where he leads workshops, tasting sessions, and serves school meals that inspire, educate, and nourish hundreds of children every day.

Reflecting on the Downing Street invitation, he says: “I couldn’t believe it at first — someone said, ‘They might want you to cook at Number 10.’ I laughed, thinking it was a joke. But it wasn’t! A few days later I had the official invite, and next thing I knew I was there checking out the kitchen. It was an unforgettable moment.”

“The event was a fantastic chance to showcase what we do and prove that great school food is achievable — still within government guidelines and budgets, the only difference being the care and creativity we put in.”