Wigan's catering service MetroFresh held a borough-wide Easter theme school dinner day which saw an extra 1,893 pupils heading for the canteen at 58 schools.

It is the third themed day organised to encourage children back after a slump in sales following a radical overhaul to healthier eating.

The changes were sparked by Jamie Oliver's TV show that set out to alter the way we feed our schoolchildren.

MetroFresh now serves up around 17,000 meals a day but sales had fallen after kids turned up their noses at the new healthier offerings.

Wigan is "plugging" the gap with themed days centred on religious festivals and the latest Hollywood hits. A Ratatouille themed day based on the blockbuster animation last year saw an extra 2,000 school meals sold.

MetroFresh manager Debbie Clarke: "We've seen a 1% to 1.5% increase per month. That is about 60 to 100 meals extra a day which is great.
"There was a national downturn after Jamie Oliver but we've plugged that gap in Wigan and it's now rising every month.

"This is a fantastic initiative that is making a difference. It all means children are eating healthier and obesity is being tackled in our schools."

At St Philip's CE Primary School in Atherton, youngsters held their own Easter egg competition as part of the themed day. An extra 41 school meals were sold.

The Eggstravaganza Day meant children who did not normally have school meals had a chance to try the menu and enjoy the fun and games. Some schools hid winning stickers under plates for an Easter surprise gift.