FIVE of Suffolk’s school were celebrating this week after scooping a local food accolade.

The Food for Life Partnership, which aims to transform school and community food culture across England, gave a bronze award to Birchwood Primary in Ipswich, Rendlesham Primary, St Edmund’s Catholic Primary in Bungay, The Priory School in Bury St Edmunds and Yoxford Primary in recognition of their achievements in improving school meals.

To win an award, schools must serve seasonal meals which are at least 75% freshly prepared by a well-trained school cook. Pupils and parents are involved in planning improvements to the school menu and every pupil is givent he opportunity to visit a farm during his or her time at school, and are given cooking and food growing activities.

The partnership has been working in Suffolk for almost four years now, working alongside East Anglian Tastes for Schools (EATS), previously Suffolk County Catering, to help advise and develop school meals to meet its bronze standards.

Pupils from the five schools gathered at the Food Safari smallholding at Sibton, near Peasenhall, to mark the occasion.

Certificates were presented by local food campaigner Caroline Cranbrook and the children took part in a series of activities, workshops and a mini-safari at the Sibton site, which is home to chickens and rare breed pigs

The partnership’s east of England co-ordinator Ian Nutt said it was “a wonderful afternoon” of activities.