TV chef Jamie Oliver may have caused a stir down South with his expose of poor school dinners - but Bradford school caterers have today declared they are already ahead of the game.

Education Contract Services (ECS) feeds 45,000 pupils in Bradford every school day and has cooked up a host of accolades for its initiatives.

The Channel Four series Jamie's School Dinners revealed the poor quality of food served up to children in parts of London - and sparked the TV supercook to campaign for more government cash to be spent to provide a healthy menu.

The series revealed that average cost of a school dinner in the UK is 37p - however in Bradford ECS serves up lunches which cost 50p.

ECS business development manager Roger Sheard said: "We are already spending more than average on our meals and we are doing a lot of work to raise the nutritional value of our meals. We are using more fresh food and sourcing locally as much produce as possible.

"Money spent on school dinners isn't down to the government - it's down to the school budget.

"But it's not the cost of the meal, it's the quality."

Mr Sheard said despite the programme no parents from across the district had contacted the Laisterdyke-based company to raise their concerns.

"This is because we have a very good relationship with parents and we regularly send home leaflets and menus, and hold information stands at school events," he said.

"We have a strong corporate and social responsibility to the food that we provide and we are always looking at ways to improve.

"But it's good that the programme has raised concern nationally about what children are eating. It's an important subject and I'm assured by Jamie's sentiments that something needs to be done to raise standards of the quality of food served to the nation's children."

ECS meals are GM-free, low in fat, salt and sugar, and high in fibre.

Chips are served just once a week in primary schools and an organic option was included on menus at the 200-plus Bradford schools ECS caters for from September last year.

ECS is now working towards delivering a low-salt bread, and from September new menus will be on offer.

This will include an extra piece of fruit or vegetables for children who take the 'stop, pick and go' cold lunch option.

Last summer the company won the Local Authority catering Association's primary School Catering Team of the Year Award and Mr Sheard won the Outstanding Achievement Award in the national competition. And it is the only school catering firm in the UK to be given the Caroline Walker Trust Award which recognises those who have sought to improve health through good food.