A catering expert who has helped guide Bradford Council's award-winning school meals policy will be basking in the Californian sunshine after the authority scooped national recognition.

Jean Wraith, area supervisor for Education Contract Services (ECS), Bradford Council's in-house caterer, has been invited to travel across the pond to meet producers of one of the state's best-known exports.

School caterers across the UK were judged on their innovation and approach to healthy eating in a competition hosted by Cost Sector Magazine.

After detailed research, the publication named ECS one of the healthiest school meal producers in the UK.

ECS was hailed as an example of a catering body dedicated to its clients and was awarded official recognition for its "commitment to promoting healthy eating".

ECS has devised a menu for district schools using only fresh meat, poultry and vegetables produced within 30 miles of the district.

It has also appointed a gourmet chef to develop new dishes for schools - Dominic Hirst - who was recruited from Harvey Nichols in Leeds to work with catering managers.

Pupils are now only allowed two portions of fried food each week - with chips on the menu only once a week. Among the healthy choice foods on the menu are California Raisins.

And, when Peter Meadows, California Raisins marketing director for UK and Europe, heard of the use of their product in schools throughout the district, he invited Jean to the States to find out more.

Roger Sheard, ECS operations manager, said: "California Raisins are very versatile and fit the nutritional criteria for children's food intake.

"They provide slow release energy - an aspect of food we are studying further to understand how this may benefit children's learning ability and concentration levels."

Mr Meadows said: "ECS demonstrated that they have, for many years, consistently promoted the benefits of healthy eating to children, long before Jamie Oliver became involved in the debate about school food."

Jean was set to visit a number of different raisin growers in central California as well as visiting a primary school to find out more about the state's healthy eating programme.

Councillor Andrew Mallinson, Bradford Council's executive member for regeneration and economy, said: "The ECS should be congratulated on their high standards, commitment and hard work which have obviously contributed towards their success."

ECS Bradford area catering manager, Elaine Warren, said the authority served around 22,000 meals a day to pupils in 172 primary schools.

The UK remains the world's biggest market for dried vine fruits - sultanas, currants and raisins - with approximately 110,000 metric tons sold in 2004.

e-mail: dan.webber@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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