School chefs from Latvia and Estonia are working together to create new, tasty, and healthy recipes for students

From July 30 to August 1, this year, an international school chefs’ workshop “THE SCHOOL KITCHEN LAB” took place at Ludza Secondary School. It was organized by Daugavpils University in cooperation with Ludza Municipality within the Interreg Central Baltic Programme project “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” (CB0600301).

Over three days, school chefs from pilot schools in the Latgale and Tartu regions, together with nutrition specialists and industry experts, tested and adapted healthy recipes inspired by the study visit to Karlstad and taken from the Swedish cookbook “Nära mat till många gäster.” As a result, 17 recipes were tried, improved, and adapted to the buffet-style serving system, with the potential to become part of school menus in Latvia and Estonia.

During the workshop, participants engaged in practical cooking sessions, discussed flavor combinations and nutritional value, and attended lectures on Sweden’s experience in school catering and the importance of meals in the learning process. The program also included a study visit to the farm “Kotiņi”, where participants learned about local grain and legume cultivation and processing solutions. This experience highlighted the value of local producers’ products and demonstrated how respect for the effort invested in food production can help reduce food waste.

The event served as an important platform for cross-border cooperation, where chefs and experts shared knowledge to create more sustainable catering practices and promote food waste reduction in schools. Special attention was given to the professional role of school chefs, which has a significant impact on the quality of children’s daily meals and the overall food culture.

The Latgale Planning Region’s “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” project team sincerely thanks Ludza Secondary School for their hospitality and all project participants for their contribution to the workshop.

The “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” project is co-financed by the European Union. The Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 strengthens cross-border cooperation to promote sustainable, innovative, and inclusive regional development.

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