Children will no longer be served fatty foods like pizza and chips

Headcorn Primary is one of 36 schools in the county swapping pizza and chips for locally produced products.

Only 60 of the school's 230 pupils currently have a school dinner but head teacher Jim Holditch hopes that will number will double after September.

Headcorn's two dinner ladies were employed by contractors but will now work directly for the school.

I could be here at 7.30 in the morning peeling potatoes but it's worth it Kim Phipps, dinner lady

Dinner lady Kim Phipps said: "At the moment we have a set menu and we can't deviate. We have to follow it to the letter.

"Sometimes we're preparing food that we know our children aren't going to eat because they don't like it.

"I'm really excited about the new project. I could be here at 7.30 in the morning peeling potatoes but it's worth it," she added.

The subject of school dinners was highlighted by TV chef Jamie Oliver who led a high profile campaign to persuade schools to offer nutritional dinners.

Mr Holditch said it was "ridiculous" that a rural school like Headcorn could not provide pupils with healthy meals.

"We've got farms all around us yet we've not got fresh locally produced food for the children."

Even parents and grandparents will be encouraged to join the children for lunch.

The meals will cost 50p per head - 10p more than under the contractors and are to be introduced from September.