The hearts and tummies of the children at Balikamariyam LP School in Kollam were filled with joy when they were treated to a delightful new lunch menu featuring ghee rice, chicken curry, salad, dates pickle and a few sips of payasam. As the students exclaimed, “It’s super tasty, teacher! We loved it a lot,” their headmistress, Elizabeth Lisy, beamed with double the happiness. More than just introducing a new menu, it was the joy of cooking for her students on her birthday that made the day extra special.

This is not the first time students at Balikamariyam have relished food prepared by their beloved headmistress. Whenever there’s a special programme at school, Elizabeth doubles up as the chief chef too. A trained continental chef herself, she believes that whether the menu is new or old, nutritious food must always be served with utmost hygiene and care.

In addition to the regular cooking staff, five members of the School PTA Executive Committee volunteer daily to help with food preparations. “Let them also get an idea about what their children are eating,” says Elizabeth.

She further explained that the cost of preparing items from the new menu such as egg fried rice, pineapple pulissery, pepper egg roast and channa masala etc is quite high. To support this, parents and teachers often donate vegetables grown in their home gardens, a practice that has become a tremendous help to the school.