Academy, the specialist education and healthcare contract caterer, has launched a new recipe book for school children and parents designed to allow parents to cook healthy, low-cost meals and get families cooking together at home. It will also raise vital funds to help tackle holiday hunger.

Academy’s chef manager and LACA and StrEAT Foods finalist, Lee Taylor, at John Gulson Primary School in Coventry, spearheaded the recipe book initiative. He compiled the nutritionally balanced, low-cost recipe book with dishes that he loves to cook for students. The recipe book is branded with hero characters to make learning about food and cooking fun.

Academy, which believes in providing healthier choices and recognises the need for fresh, sustainable food offers, in conjunction with John Gulson primary school in Coventry, has launched its recipe book today by gifting 500 families a goodie bag containing a copy of the recipe book together with enough ingredients to cook 16 children’s meals. The goodie bag will also include a bottle of Smartwater and some fresh fruit. In total, Academy have provided 8,000 meals for children.

The recipe book is also available to purchase more broadly. 50% of the profits will be returned to John Gulson Primary School to continue investment into the school’s catering service, and 50% will be allocated to purchasing ingredients for schools where the issue of holiday hunger and food insecurity is high. Academy’s recipe book is available to purchase from £3.

Lee Taylor, chef manager at Academy said: “It’s a great privilege to have been able to drive this initiative forwards. The right nutrition is absolutely fundamental for children and no child should have to go hungry. Poor nutrition and hunger affects how children learn in school and also impacts the future of their health. I am committed to doing all I can to educate children and parents about the importance of nutritionally balanced meals and ensuring they have the support they need to provide them.

“It’s very heart-warming to know that proceeds from this book will go towards stocking parents’ cupboards with the aim of reducing holiday hunger.”

Henry Watts, Managing Director at Academy, said: “Academy is so passionate about looking after the welfare of children and Lee Taylor is a shining example of this. He puts the children at John Gulson Primary School at the centre of everything he does.

“We are so proud of this initiative and the scope it has to make a positive impact on children and parents across the country, as well as raising funds to support holiday hunger, and for children at John Gulson Primary School through investment in the catering service.”