synopsis

2005 was a big year for Jamie. Disgusted at what rubbish our kids were getting fed at school, he signed up as a dinner lady to make the Jamie's School Dinners TV series. Jami wanted to show how little government was spending and demand proper standards to get rid of the junk. He had to prove that, for the same price as a bag of crisps, only 37p, he could produce a properly cooked, nutritious meal at lunchtime.

Jamie had no idea that School Dinners was going to start such a massive campaign and that it would get support from parents, teachers, kids and even a few governments all over the world.
Shortly afterwards he wrote the book Jamie’s Dinners, to try and provide people with quality options for the way families live now. Most of the recipes use ingredients you can buy in any high street, and you’ll find accessible, affordable new ideas for all the old favourites – soups, salads, pasta, meat, fish, desserts, and creative veg.

There’s a whole chapter on the not-so-humble sarnie and there’s also a section called Family Tree, showing you how, by mastering one core principle, you can expand your repertoire as a cook and start thinking about food in a whole new way.
A year later Jamie revisited the school dinners campaign to see what effect, if any, the government changes had made to schools in Greenwich and beyond, this was documented in Jamie’s Return to School Dinners.

• 4 x 60 minute episodes  / 1 x 90minute episode
• first aired: UK, Channel 4, Feb 2005 / UK, Channel 4, Sept 2006
• first published: UK hardback – Sept 2004, UK paperback – May 2006

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