WORK is well under way to create a £385,000 kitchen where healthy food will be cooked for schoolchildren in the district. The new building, where school meals will be prepared for pupils in Tickenham, Wraxall, Flax Bourton and Clevedon, has been commissio

WORK is well under way to create a £385,000 kitchen where healthy food will be cooked for schoolchildren in the district.The new building, where school meals will be prepared for pupils in Tickenham, Wraxall, Flax Bourton and Clevedon, has been commissioned by North Somerset Council.The kitchen, which is taking shape at St John the Evangelist Primary in Clevedon, will replace the existing one at St Nicholas Chantry Primary in the town.Initially, 250 meals a day will be prepared there, but the new catering base will have the capacity to increase production to 400.Builders began work on the new kitchen at the end of July. It is due to open next Spring.A spokesman for North Somerset Council said: "The new kitchen will ensure that meals are produced from scratch from fresh ingredients, enabling us to meet the food and nutrition standards set by the Government."The plans for the new kitchen were already made before celebrity chef Jamie Oliver started campaigning for healthier school meals." Headteacher of St John the Evangelist Primary Ruth Newton said: "We're pleased that the new kitchen is on our school site as we're one of only four schools in North Somerset to be granted a healthy school award."We firmly believe healthy meals are really important."Matrix, the firm constructing the kitchen, talked to the children about the importance of staying away from the building site while work is under way. After the talk, pupils designed posters reinforcing the safety message they had heard. The winning designs are being displayed on the security fencing which surrounds the construction site.