School kitchen scheme opens facilities to takeaway vendors in the evenings and weekends
To-go food is prepared in the school kitchen on weekends and evenings to support fundraising efforts.
Customers can order Sri Lankan, Thai, Mexican or Spanish food to be delivered from Carr Junior School in York.
The Green School Kitchen Scheme was set up to make more use of kitchens and at the same time increase school funding with some of the cash.
School kitchen director David Nicholson said it was a “fantastic opportunity” to benefit from an underutilized resource.
Mr Nicholson, the project's managing director, said he came up with the idea after becoming “disillusioned” with the disconnect between big food companies and local communities.
Four dishes will be offered as part of the school kitchen scheme
In an interview with BBC Radio York, he said: “It's a resource that schools have spent a lot of money on and we're not getting any benefit from it.
“The school has a kitchen that is not used on nights or weekends, so I thought it was a great opportunity.
“Being able to partner with schools and use our kitchens puts us in the middle of the community and the school and allows us to get additional funding.”
In addition to giving cash to schools, School Kitchen also wants to provide cooking lessons to students.
The team also hopes to plant crops and herbs on disused land at Kerr Junior School so children can learn about where food comes from and how it is grown.
It added that School Kitchen is committed to fair employment, has no zero-hour contracts and that all employees, from chefs to delivery workers, are paid a living wage of at least £12 an hour.
Vicki Carr, principal at Carr Junior High School, said: “We are really looking forward to being part of this exciting new venture.
“Not only is the food delicious, but it directly benefits the school and community.”
