What a surprise!! At Silver Springs, we welcomed celebrities Alex Jones and Dame Mary Berry who came to surprise Mr Banham our school Chef and Catering Manager with The One Show’s Rising Star Award.
The Judges said: “Chef Mr Banham is a culinary hero at Silver Springs, with the children raving about his delicious seasonal meals – which we know is no mean feat! The school is located in a diverse community and has a high proportion of children on free school meals, so making sure they have exciting, nutritious meals every day is really important. Mr Banham delivers that and more, all with a reduced team, failing equipment and a limited budget.
It’s not only staff and children who rave about his menus, but visitors too! He’s introduced initiatives including Meat-Free Fridays, a specials board, special menu days, a Jubilee street party, and a cooking club three times a week. And Mr Banham understands that one of the best ways to encourage the children to connect with nature and understand about sustainable living is by using seasonal ingredients, which he picks from the school’s very own allotment.
He and his team know all the children individually and regularly go the extra mile for them, managing some highly specialised diets for children with special educational needs. They’ve even managed to reach the holy grail of increasing the amount of fruit, veg and salad pupils eat. We think it’s fair to say that Mr Banham has achieved a hero-like status in the school thanks to his passion and love for food.
We know Mr Banham and his team are working in tough conditions, but we hope winning this award helps you on your journey.
Judged and presented by Mary Berry and Alex Jones.
The episode is available to watch for a limited time at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001nbhd/the-one-show-29062023
