A chef at a London school has been honored with a national award for her entirely meat-free meals designed for pupils with autism. Tracy Nwabia, who leads the catering team at Spa School Bermondsey, received the Chef Champion Award at the 2026 Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards. Her menu is entirely vegan or vegetarian.
The award highlights her commitment to creating vegetarian dishes that incorporate a variety of textures, which can be challenging for neurodiverse children and influence their eating habits.
Upon receiving the trophy, Nwabia expressed her surprise and gratitude. "I'm just speechless. I can't believe I've won. I'm a mother and I just treat the children the way I would want mine to be treated. For some, their lunch might be the only healthy hot meal they have that day. Everyone here has different needs so we cater to them. Some want their food separate, some don't like certain textures and so on. We'll always give them what they want and help them try new foods," she said.
The Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards aim to promote healthy eating in schools and celebrate individuals and schools making a difference in food education.
Jamie Oliver himself praised Nwabia, stating, "Tracy is everything these awards stand for - delivering caring, generous, brilliant service in schools, so that kids can go off into their future, full, in every sense. From working with individual students to grow their confidence in trying new foods, to creating fully accessible menus and driving school food uptake to over 94%, Tracy's patience and dedication to the students makes her an unbelievably deserving winner of The Sun's Chef Champion Award 2026."
The award also recognized the weekly cooking lessons Nwabia conducts, where pupils learn new meat-free recipes. Students can take home accessible recipes and vote on their favorite dishes to influence future menu items. The school keeps chickens on-site, and students help collect eggs for cooking.
The awards were judged by a celebrity panel including Mary Berry, Joe Wicks, Gladiators stars Montell Douglas (Fire) and Zack George (Steel), and Dani Dyer. Speaking for the panel, Dyer commented, "As a mum, I know that getting children excited about healthy food isn't always easy. What Tracy has created is really special because she's made food something pupils genuinely look forward to. The fact that children feel involved, included, and excited about what's on their plates says so much about the environment she's built. Making healthy, meat-free meals feel fun and enjoyable every day is no small thing and Tracy should be incredibly proud."
Georgina Quigley of Spa School added, "Everyone at Spa is incredibly proud of the work Tracy has done. She ensures we have exciting, nutritious meals every day and has a great understanding of what our pupils need. Her understanding of autism and food means she works hard to design menus with a range of textures and tastes so there is something for everyone. Being meat-free never feels like a compromise. We could not be prouder that this hard work has been recognized."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson also praised Nwabia, saying, "Tracy has spent 13 years showing great school food is about more than nutrition. It can be joyful, inclusive and a big part of the school experience. For pupils with autism and complex sensory needs, food can be difficult, and the fact Tracy has built trust and excitement around mealtimes is a testament to her skill."
