A SCHEME to get pupils eating top quality local produce for their school dinners in three Ryedale primary schools will be extended across North Yorkshire in the new year.

Children at Rosedale Abbey, Gillamoor and Kirkbymoorside primary schools have been tucking into the fresh and organic vegetables and locally-sourced meat since October.

Gillamoor Village Shop, winner of the best village shop in Yorkshire award 2003, supplies fruit and vegetables to the schools in Rosedale and Gillamoor.

Owner Graham Slater said: "My priority is locally-produced food, but a lot of the farms around here are organic, so that is an added aspect to it.

"They get a selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables and I know the kids enjoy it. My son is a pupil at Gillamoor and he had really noticed the difference."

The meat is provided by Waind's butcher in Kirkbymoorside, and is farmed locally.

The scheme was initiated by Ryedale District councillor Nelly Trevelyan, who said: "We have some marvellously able school cooks, and we should value and utilise their skills. When children are served poor-quality, highly-processed food, it's not the fault of the cooks, it's the fault of the system. This scheme provides the cooks with the materials with which to produce some tasty, healthy meals which support the local economy."

Current school catering contracts with the county council end in July, and the provision of school meals will be brought back under the responsibility of County Catering after four years in the hands of a private firm.

Head of client catering at North Yorkshire County Council Nick Postma said: "We are already looking at introducing a similar scheme in Richmond. Obviously, with North Yorkshire being such a big county, it will take a while, but the aim of the council is to buy local goods and services. Our intention is to use as many local suppliers for school dinners as possible in the future."

School cook at Rosedale Maggie Baraclough said: "It has been a real success. The children are clamouring to see what's on the menu each day. They say they can tell the difference in taste with their burgers and sausages and I think it's a good education for them to demonstrate that fresh, locally-produced food can be as nice, if not much nicer, than processed fast food."

Updated: 09:27 Monday, December 22, 2003