Jamie Oliver to carry on with school dinners crusade after parting with Sainsbury's

Jamie Oliver is planning to continue his crusade for healthier school dinners after leaving Sainsbury’s.

The TV chef, who has been the face of Sainsbury’s for the past 11 years and who filmed his last ad for the retailer last month, wants to take over a school dinner service.

“At some point, I plan to take over a local school food service and run it as a not-for-profit operation,” he told the retailer’s staff magazine Sainsbury’s Journal. “I want to show that the quality and variety of food at school can be a lot better.”

Oliver has been a long-time campaigner for healthier school dinners. His 2005 documentary Jamie’s School Dinners famously resulted in Turkey Twizzlers being scrapped.

However, the issue has hit headlines again recently. Last month, it was revealed the government had allowed its flagship academy schools exemption from strict nutritional standards introduced in all schools two years ago and caterers said they had been asked to provide confectionery, as well as snacks such as sausage rolls, to the academies.

Oliver also revealed he planned to focus on his restaurants. “We’ve opened 23 in four years and I still have lots of different ideas,” he said. “The next project is to stir up the pasta and pizza chain market. It’s very exciting to start something new and be a bit provocative.”

Sainsbury’s will launch a ‘Best of Jamie’ TV ad on Tuesday to bid farewell to the chef.