St Peter’s C of E Primary School in East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, has long been known for its innovative approach to school meals – it was once nicknamed the original “Jamie Oliver school.” Today, it continues to lead the way, winning awards for its commitment to sustainability and nutritious food.
In 2024, the school began working with Let’s Go Zero and Climate Action Advisor Jo Pettifer. Jo’s support included energy audits, staff training and embedding sustainability into the curriculum. Their action plan now tackles food, energy and waste with impressive results.
20%
reduction in food waste
220
children a day benefit from freshly cooked, seasonal meals
Like many schools, St Peter’s faced rising food prices and energy bills while trying to maintain high-quality, freshly prepared meals. Sourcing sustainable ingredients without increasing costs was a major challenge.
Sarah Pumb, Catering Manager explains: “Schools are having to foot the increase in costs from suppliers. Many use dynamic pricing which doesn’t help us – sometimes it’s even cheaper to shop in supermarkets. We’ve cut costs by half this year by constantly comparing suppliers.”
The team also wanted to cut food waste without limiting choice. Despite its strong food culture, portions could be too generous and uneaten food went in the bin. At the same time, dietary needs are more complex than ever: “Knowing the individual dietary needs of all our students is vital – and challenging,” says Sarah.
With support from Let’s Go Zero and Jo Pettifer, St Peter’s implemented a joined-up sustainability plan centred around food but extending across the school.
Fresh, local, seasonal food: All meals are cooked on site by Sarah and her team using seasonal menus that rotate every three weeks. “I bake everything on-site – even my ‘Mrs Plumb’s Famous Pizza,’” she says. “Sometimes it’s the only hot, nutritious meal a child will get that day.”
Making plant-based appealing: Vegetarian options are integrated without being labelled. Fun names and presentation encourage children to try new things: veggie meatballs are “Power Balls,” Quorn chili is “Campfire Chilli.” “If it looks nice they’ll want to try it,” Sarah says. “Lots of children prefer raw carrots or salad to cooked veg – so our salad bar is always there.”
Incredibly, the students are even lobbying to save the Salad Bar and even though budgets were squeezed, Sarah Plumb and Richard Tomlinson are right behind them, persuading the Trustees to keep it. ‘Lots of children prefer raw veg, and it’s such an important part of giving them choice,’ Sarah explains. ‘We worked hard to save it by shopping around for the best prices rather than cutting it.”
Reducing waste and costs: Better portioning, menu planning and education have cut food waste by 20% and halved food spending in a year. Even the food bin is part of the solution, with “eyes” and magnets to save cutlery and prompt children to think before discarding.
Student engagement: Pupils give feedback on menus, name dishes and lead assemblies. Sarah’s influence goes beyond school: former pupils have gone on to become chefs and nutritionists.
The outcomes after just a year are significant:
Despite inflation, food spending halved in one year thanks to smarter sourcing, while food waste dropped by about 20%. Every day, 220 children now benefit from freshly cooked, seasonal meals – that’s around 33,000 meals a year. Sarah is on track to serve one million meals within three years.
The changes go beyond food. Energy use has fallen too with 8% less electricity and 10% less gas use, saving 6.55 tonnes of carbon and £2,018 on energy bills.
Pupils are proud of their role. They run energy campaigns, take part in menu planning and even make up songs about favourite dishes. “The staff sing the ‘Pasta, Peas and Bacon’ song,” Sarah laughs. “Food should be fun – that’s how you get children excited.”
All of their hard work has paid off and they were awarded Bronze in the ProVeg School Plates awards for the work they did improving the sustainability of their menu. That’s an incredibly high standard to have reached in their first year and they are aiming for silver in their next Climate Action Plan.
ProVeg are a Let’s Go Zero coalition partner and were instrumental in supporting the school to identify improvements after let’s Go Zero connected them with Mrs Plumb.
The school’s experience shows that sustainability and quality can go hand in hand. By engaging pupils and staff, being creative in the kitchen, and linking food to learning, St Peter’s has delivered financial savings, lower emissions and a stronger school community.
“Jo gave us a 360-degree view. From switching to LEDs to tackling food waste, she’s helped us think differently.”
Richard Tomlinson, Headteacher
Climate Action Advisors are experts, who offer free support for schools, colleges, and nurseries across England. We support schools to understand their carbon impact, make effective plans, and find funding and resources. We work with schools of any size, even those that are just starting their sustainability journey. We also spotlight local opportunities for how schools can work together.
Get in touch to find out how our Climate Action Advisors can start helping your school reach it’s climate goals today.
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