The school cooks

Three school chefs tell Ruth Alexander what it’s like serving up canteen food every day.

Find out how they manage hundreds of hungry child customers, what pro tips they have for making vegetables seem delicious, and why they all find the job so satisfying.

We hear from the USA, Liverpool in the UK and a school chef in the far north of Finland about the challenges of cooking mountains of meatballs, how to cope when the vegetable biriyani goes all over the ceiling, and why it’s one of the most rewarding – but probably overlooked – professions.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producers: Hannah Bewley and Rumella Dasgupta

(Image: a plastic lunch tray with meat, vegetables and gravy, fruit and a plastic cup. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)