Jamie takes petition to No 10

TV chef Jamie Oliver has today taken his petition for improved school lunches to Downing Street.

17:14 30 March 2005

TV chef Jamie Oliver has today taken his petition for improved school lunches to Downing Street.

Nearly 300,000 people have signed his Feed Me Better online poll, which was set up after his hit programme, Jamie's School Dinners, was screened on Channel 4.

Writing on his website before this morning's visit with the prime minister, the Naked Chef said he was keen to see how the government would respond to his campaign.

"Keep your fingers crossed that all of the news will be good," he said.

Jamie wants proper qualifications for dinner ladies, 50p set aside for each meal and more time for the preparation of food for children.

His campaign has drawn support from all quarters, with teachers yesterday suggesting that Jamie's work to improve nutritional standards among children could earn him a knighthood.

The general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Steve Sinnott, said: "Don't you think the words 'Sir Jamie Oliver' have a certain ring to them?"

The NUT is pushing for the government to raise the cost of a school meal from the "pittance" of 37p to 1.

The government has pledged to introduce minimum nutritional standards for fat, salt and sugar content from this September, with more stringent standards coming into force a year later.