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The podcast explores how three school chefs from around the world manage hundreds of hungry child customers, what pro tips they have for making vegetables seem delicious and why they all find the job so satisfying.

The podcast features host Ruth Alexander alongside Holly Charnock from Liverpool as well as school chefs from the United States and Finland.

When asked about the best thing about her job. Holly replied: “To me it has to be the kids. You know what the kids like, what they don’t like, their individual likes and I think its having a little chat with them [asking] how are they today, how have they been doing. I love that interaction with them.”

Holly noted that Chicken Korma with 50:50 rice and a homemade naan was the most popular item on the school menu in Liverpool.

Speaking about rising school food prices, Holly added: “At no point will I ever shrink portion sizes. You don’t know if that child will only get one meal that day. So to me that will never ever be reduced. You just have to be a little more careful with waste and then maybe bulking meals out with some beans or pulses if needed.

“We do a cake, obviously your butter, sugar and eggs are high cost ingredients. We have now reduced the butter and the eggs and replaced it with carrots and courgette. So we are making it healthier but we are also reducing the cost of the cake as well. And actually the kids prefer it. Your feeding the future. That’s the way I look at it. You want to feed them and educate them the best we can.”