Nick Parry, BBC News Online enjoys his first school meal for 13 years

Glenys Rees shows a well-fed Nick Parry how to lunch properly

It's a feast that may not look out of place on many a restaurant menu, but is in fact the meal that won Glenys Rees the title of Welsh School Chef of the Year.

The fare at Brynsaron Primary School near Llandysul, where she caters for around 65 pupils each day single-handed, was slightly more humble when we sat down for lunch.

But if the sausage dinner, array of fresh veg and potatoes, milkshake and cookie was anything to go by, school meals have got a lot better than I remember.

There are only chips once a week Glenys Rees

Twenty years on from primary school, I still hate the thought of spam and chips followed by blancmange. Although even I must admit to fond memories of chocolate cake and custard.

Glenys is keen to point out the changes, especially as a report from Cardiff University last week claimed some school menus were actually damaging to children's health.

She has been the chef at the school for the past 18 years and before that worked in the hotel trade. So, award or no award, she is well qualified to judge.

"When I first started here there was just one meal each day but now there's a choice of main courses and puddings," she said.

"The quality of meals is much better now. But the improved choice is the most important thing.

"A lot of meals used to be roast dinners but now there are salads, curries are popular with the older ones, spaghetti and we have recently started moussaka.

Local farmers

"The menu is different every day of the month and there are only chips once a week.

"We try and put on as much fresh veg as possible from local farmers and local producers."

In fairness, the report said Carmarthenshire had the best take-up of school meals in Wales and praised the county's education authority for regularly consulting pupils and holding healthy eating promotions.

Glenys Rees has been chef at the school for 18 years

But getting youngsters between the age of four and 11 to eat healthily is easier said than done.

"The little ones don't seem to like to try anything new, and meals such as curries are out. But once they become older they are willing to try new things.

"I remember when we started promoting healthy eating we introduced brown flour but they just did not like it.

"I found the trick was to add just a drop of food colouring into the sponge and they thought it was pink sponge."

Empty plates

The judges awarded Glenys the title because the meal she prepared, in a time limit of an hour and a half and with a budget of just 80p per helping, was something suitable for school canteens.

"The meal used local produce which is something we try and do here," she added.

As our empty plates are taken away she says she has no regrets about leaving the hotel trade for the school kitchen.

"I always said I would not work in schools," she said.

"But I love it and whether you are cooking for adults or children it is the same really.

"It's nice for the children to have a good lunch as they do say kids work better in the afternoon if they've had a good hot meal," she added.