Luncheon meat fritters, Manchester tart, custard with plenty of skin, cornflake tart - yum, yum school dinners. But the humble reconstituted mash potato that tastes like soapsuds has got a bad press in recent years. Jamie Oliver is credited with making the government think again about the resources going into school grub but it was actually a Nottinghamshire dinner lady who started the campaign. For 14 years Jeanette Orrey was catering manager at St Peter's Primary school in East Bridgford. But she wasn't happy at just opening packets of ready to cook food. She began a quest for meals cooked on the spot using locally produced food. Now she's just had her second book, Second Helpings, published and runs a school for dinner ladies in Essex. She's been talking to BBC Radio Nottingham's Frances Finn about :- - Why she felt there was a need for change
- Why it's a slow process
- Teaching dinner ladies how to cook
- The need for parents to cook properly
- Encouraging parents to give their children dinner money instead of packed lunches
- Jeanette's definition of a good school meal
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Jeanette Orrey's book, Second Helpings, contains 120 recipes that children should like but which are quick and easy for parents to prepare. It's published by Random. | 
