School dinners from one institution in York are about to get a whole lot better.

They will be made by experienced chefs, they will be available in the evening or Saturday afternoon. They will be delivered to your door. And they promise to be sustainable and ethical.

Next month sees the launch of School Kitchen, which will be starting off from the kitchens of Carr Junior School in Acomb.

Plans for a second site at Millthorpe School, South Bank, York, are about to be submitted to City of York Council.

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Eventually, the aim is to roll-out School Kitchen across the country.

The concept has been created by Yorkshireman David Nicholson, who was born in Thirsk, enjoyed a successful retail career in London and returned to the county to launch his own business.

Now living near Foss Islands Road, David sought to do his own thing and something more sustainable and ethical, believing large corporates had lost their connection with customers and communities.

York Press: A lovely piece of lamb is about to be served

School Kitchen partners with schools, using their kitchens when they would not be used for a share of the revenue, and pay staff, including delivery drivers and riders at least the current living wage of £12ph.

Launching on Tuesday March 19, School Kitchen will open with a Sri Lankan restaurant, Pirivena, and a Mexican offering, Quetzalcoatl, Thai restaurant named Mae Nam, and Tapas restaurant, Averroes. Customers will be able to mix and match dishes from the different restaurants in each order.

Sustainability is another key aim, with the initiative installing solar panels at partner schools to generate electricity, using bikes or electric mopeds for all deliveries, and only using reusable, recyclable, or compostable, biodegradable packaging.

David, who is the Managing Director of School Kitchen, said: “I set about designing a business which had good working conditions, connection to communities, reduced carbon emissions, and decreased packaging waste, whilst still being financially viable. The result was School Kitchen. We’re so excited to be finally launching in York, with big plans to expand if the appetite - in every sense - is there for our new kind of takeaway.”

York Press: Managing director David Nicholson

And he assures the meals should be better than what we might remember from our schooldays, saying he has a really good team of chefs with much experience from a range of venues.

He added: “We have also had tasting sessions and invited potential customers from the area. We took on feedback to make the dishes work with them.”

Vicki Kerr, Head Teacher at Carr Junior School, said, “Not only is the food delicious, but it will directly benefit the school and the local community.”

Mark Hassack, Chief Executive, South Bank Multi Academy Trust, added: "We are really impressed by School Kitchen’s innovative concept and strong commitment to sustainability. Not only will they offer support to our schools but the plans for offering apprenticeships shows their strong belief in supporting local communities, which is aligned with our Trust’s values. We couldn't be more excited to be part of this and we are looking forward to the upcoming launch."

For more information, visit www.schoolkitchen.com.