Cucina and chef Phil Howard create new school meals for British Food Fortnight

School foodservice company Cucina has teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard to create new dishes for its schools, to honour British Food Fortnight.

Chef-patron at London restaurant the Square, Howard's new dishes will be served at all 47 Cucina school sites, which include Edgbarrow Secondary School and Charters School in Berkshire, Goffs School in Cheshunt, and the Bushey Academy in Hertfordshire.

The dishes include salt and pepper drumsticks with sweetcorn; shepherd's baked potato with melted onion and rosemary relish; cauliflower, ham and cheese croquettes; fish finger, slaw and lettuce sandwich; pot-roasted vegetables with a soft poached egg; pea and bacon soup with a sausage roll; and rarebit, beef and sausage cobbler.

Dessert options will include hot chocolate fudge pudding; salted caramel and chocolate pot with lime shortbread; orange beignets with lemon posset; and vanilla cream with blackcurrant jelly.

British Food Fortnight is a national food promotion organised by Love British Food. It aims to celebrate British food and British culinary traditions, and lasts from 22 September to 3 October.

Cucina managing director Steve Quinn said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the students at our partner schools to enjoy the very finest of British food made from seasonal, locally produced ingredients. It has been wonderful to collaborate with Phil Howard to prepare these British classics."

Commenting on his participation in this celebration of British food, Phil Howard explained that his dishes would focus on seasonality and provenance, in line with the trends' growing popularity among restaurants, chefs, suppliers and consumers.

He added: "The next thing is to introduce it to schools so that it becomes part and parcel of their understanding to eat local, to eat British and to eat sustainably, and also, healthily. This is really important."

In addition to the Square, Howard is known for his role as a judge on the BBC television series Great British Menu.

Cucina specialises in catering to schools, and now operates restaurants at 47 British state secondary schools and academies. It is also set to take part in a national harvest service in Birmingham Cathedral on 20 October, also organised by British Food Fortnight.

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