Congratulations from the School Food Trust to Children’s food campaigner and dinner lady Jeanette Orrey, who has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to Food in Schools.
Instrumental in the transformation of the nation’s school dinners, Jeanette is perhaps best known as the dinner lady that introduced Jamie Oliver to the poor state of school meals. Jeanette’s revelations and passion for cooking healthy meals at the school where she worked inspired Oliver to make the TV programme Jamie’s School Dinners in 2005, which signalled the start of change for school food nutrition.
But Jeanette’s dedication to better food for children did not stop there; she continued to work with school cooks all over the country, and was a valued member of the School Food Trust board of trustees.
Our Chief Executive, Judy Hargadon, said: “I have always admired Jeanette’s very practical and caring approach to the children we serve and the cooks we help. Her no nonsense approach gets straight to the heart of the matter, whatever the challenge. This award is very well deserved.”
