A DINNER lady has transformed school meals at West Monmouth and the healthy option has been given an image boost.

School catering manager Maria Stone became 'head chef' when the school pulled out of the contract catering system. And in a Jamie Oliver-style transformation decided to try out a home cooked menu.

Maria made eating your greens cool with a stroke of genius and created a milk bar and salad bar in the canteen to encourage kids to eat well.

But her latest idea has beaten all her records. The hot pasta take-away has become a real sell-out every lunchtime.

Maria explained: "One of the difficulties introducing new food options to the school menu is making sure it appeals to the kids as well as being quick and easy to serve. The school has two canteens and even the small canteen has 150 meals a day to deliver. The self-serve system and take-away bar gives the lunch team crucial extra time needed to prepare meals from scratch.

"While it's a safe bet that most kids like pasta, it can be quite difficult to prepare large quantities and still maintain the just-cooked fresh taste.

The sauces are excellent quality and not only are they very tasty, which makes them popular with the kids, but they also provide a really balanced nutritional meal. With many pupils participating in extra curricular activities at lunchtime, they enjoy the flexibility of a take-away option and the new Pasta bar offers just that," she added.

The new menu is not just giving kids a healthy start it has also giving canteen profits a healthy boost.

Maria read about Pasta King's innovative bar concept in a catering magazine.

Maria said: "I'm pleased to say our school meals are healthier and more popular than ever with the pupils."