Chesterfield school teams up with award-winning chef to provide summer school lunches

Outwood Academy Newbold, based on Highfield Lane, is working with award-winning chef Chris Mapp in a partnership that will see him provide summer school lunches for its students.

Chris and his team will be preparing lunch for around 200 children who will be beginning Year 7 at the academy in September.

He has also agreed to provide lunch for the staff at the summer school, which will run for two consecutive weeks over the summer break from August 2.

Rob Southern, Head of School at Outwood Academy Newbold, said: “We are delighted and grateful that Chris has stepped up to do this for us. Everyone is aware of how difficult it has been the last 18 months, and it really is a time for people to come together and work together.

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“At Outwood, we believe in working with our community to the benefit of our students and this partnership is the perfect example of this. Working closely with someone as talented as Chris will be the opportunity of a lifetime for some of our students.”

Chris also attended Outwood Academy Newbold in May and worked with catering and hospitality students at the academy in order to help them with their mock assessment preparation.

This will become a regular occurrence as Chris, who runs an apprenticeship programme through his restaurant, will work to help students improve their skills, while also identifying students who could become future apprentices and embark on a career in the sector.

Chris, who owns The Tickled Trout in Barlow, said: “We just want to do our bit to help people in this really troubling time. I hope that by providing these lunches, it can help the students get a bit more out of the summer School.

“Having been in the academy, I am aware of the culinary talent of the students already there. It really is exceptional. Some of the dishes were brilliant, especially Mia’s dessert which I would quite happily serve in the restaurant. I am excited to work with the students more and see them progress.”

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