A NEW era for school meals in Wiltshire begins on Monday just weeks after Jamie Oliver took his healthy eating campaign to Downing Street.

Sodexho, which provides meals for 115 of the 260 schools run by Wiltshire County Council, is piloting a new menu it hopes will pass the taste test.

The Channel 4 series Jamie's School Dinners prompted the Government to increase funding for pupils' lunches, but Sodexho says it was planning changes in Wiltshire since late last year.

Spokesman Clare Collins said: "We undertook a questionnaire among parents to see if they wanted changes. This is on trial at Sherston School and if it is popular we will roll it out across the other schools."

Standard primary school meals supplied by Sodexho cost £1.65 for two courses and a drink, but in Sherston parents will be able to pay £2.40 for a healthier option.

Mrs Collins said: "Parents did say they would be prepared to pay more if the food was healthier. With the extra money we can have a lot more fresh food cooked on site."

Pupils and parents in Sherston tested the new options just before Christmas and their feedback helped create the finished dishes.

Mrs Collins said a typical week's menu would be: Monday braised leg of lamb, Tuesday chicken breast with cranberry gravy, Wednesday baked ham and parsley sauce, Thursday stewed beef cobbler and Friday breaded sole with lemon.

Sodexho supplies meals to three secondary schools in Wiltshire, but Mrs Collins said it was important to focus efforts on the primary pupils.

She said: "By the time they get to secondary school it is much more difficult to get them to eat certain foods."

Soon after Mr Oliver delivered his petition to Downing Street, education secretary Ruth Kelly announced a £220m funding boost to bring the minimum spent on primary school dinners ingredients to 50p.

Mrs Collins said: "We welcome the rise to 50p per primary meal, but we actually believe more than that is needed."

She added: "The coverage is all good news because it is moving in the right direction to be able to cook fresher food."

Mrs Collins said Sodexho would not sign any contracts that would mean ingredients costing less than 55p per child.

The company is also boosting nutritional content in popular foods like lasagne and pizza and asking its suppliers to reduce fat, sugar and salt levels in their products.