SPARE a thought for school dinner staff in East Lothian this year as they prepare to serve Christmas lunch to more than 14,000 pupils across the county.

A staggering 358 kilos of locally grown Brussels sprouts and nearly 800 kilos of potatoes will need to be peeled and prepared ahead of the festive meals.

More than 8,000 pupils will be tucking into a festive meal ahead of December 25 with an estimated 728 kilos of turkey and 500 kilos of carrots also on the menu.

And it will all be washed down with 410 litres of gravy.

East Lothian Council’s catering team picked up the Soil Association Scotland’s Bronze Food for Life Served Here award for its commitment to serving fresh and sustainable meals using local produce.

Their commitment is reflected with both 798 kilos of locally-grown potatoes and 358 kilos of sprouts on this year’s festive menu.

Out of the county’s 14,000 schools roll, it is expected that 8,250 pupils will opt for a Christmas lunch this year.

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, council cabinet spokesperson for education and children’s services, said: “The school Christmas lunch is a lovely occasion in the end-of-term calendar and much-enjoyed by pupils.

“It’s important to ensure that we provide this for all our pupils in the run-up to Christmas.

"Our school catering teams work closely with trusted local suppliers to make sure the meals we serve are good for the pupils and good for the local farming community too.

“I’d like to commend them for the efforts that they put into providing an award-winning service all year round and the special efforts they make to supporting Christmas celebrations in our schools.”