Healthy Kids. Pic: Dullhunk - Flickr

Tower Hamlets has achieved a healthy school dinner award for all 90 of its primary, nursery and special schools.

A bronze Food for Life Catering Mark was awarded to the schools by the Soil Association, a charity campaigning for environmentally friendly food and farming.

The award means that one of the UK’s most diverse inner-city boroughs, with the highest number of free school meals in the UK, is serving food that is fresh and free from potentially harmful additives to the children of the borough every day.

All meat and dairy products used in school lunches are from farms that satisfy UK welfare standards.

The borough’s catering team managed to achieve this without increasing their budget, but by switching suppliers and being part of a London-wide buying group, showing that healthy and cost efficient meals can be provided for all students.

Parents and carers of children who do not use the free school meal program will be encouraged to do so by the Tower Hamlets catering team in the coming weeks with support from a School Food Trust project. Free school meals could save families up to £380 per year per child.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “This is a fantastic achievement. Tower Hamlets Council is committed to improving the life opportunities and health of all its residents in the borough.

He continued: “This award demonstrates the benefits that can be realised by excellent partnership working between the council and the borough’s schools.”