SALAD is going down a storm in schools across the county after a new meals contract was launched.

Just three weeks into the new contract and the school meals are proving popular among hungry children.

In Dursley Primary School feedback has been positive and head teacher of the school, Bill Church, said some children were actively choosing a salad for their lunch.

"It has only been a few weeks since the new contract started, but so far feedback has been good," said Mr Dixon, who is also partial to a school dinner when he gets the chance.

"I quite often try to sit and have lunch with the children. It is interesting to watch them because they like to look at what I am eating and as I am a vegetarian it is something a bit different to them."

The new contract, supplied by Edward and Wards, has been taken on by 160 schools in Gloucestershire, other schools devise their own meals. The contract has a three-week cycle of meals, with three options each day – one meat-based, one vegetarian and one salad plus dessert and fruit.

The emphasis is on good quality produce, sourced mainly from the UK and prepared from scratch - it is a world away from the sloppy rice pudding and chips and gravy from many people's youth.

The choices include pork meatballs with tomato sauce and rice, vegetable bolognaise with spaghetti, beef lasagne and garlic bread, baked pepper quiche with new potatoes and moussaka.

Steph Phillips, aged 11, has school meals regularly and said she has really been enjoying the new meal choices.

"The new meals are really healthy and tasty," said Steph. "We get a lot better choices and the salads are nice, my favourite so far has been the roast chicken with gravy."

Joel Wagstaff, aged 10, said: "I have seen people eating the salads and they look really nice so I think I might try one some time."

Across the Stroud district there has been a 30 per cent increase in uptake of school meals and Mr Church says he believes the meals are becoming more popular in Dursley.

"At the moment fewer children have school meals because in the warm weather they like to sit outside with sandwiches so we have about 25 per cent of the school eating them.

"Once we get into autumn I think that could rise to around 30 – 40 per cent, which is very high."

Mr Church added: "There is no doubt school meals have improved over the last 10 years. Children know the message, they know they have to eat healthily and get exercise, and even if they do leave a few carrots on their plate the message is getting through."