Jamie Oliver’s famous dinner lady helper Nora Sands has quit her job in dismay, after government promises of more cash to improve standards failed to materialise.

The straight talking school cook shot to fame during Jamie Oliver’s Feed Me Better campaign to raise standards of school food, when she became his first convert and subsequently his most ardent supporter.

The campaign prompted the Government to eventually pledge around £500m in total to improve nutritional standards in canteens, but the changes have not been forthcoming.

A friend of Nora’s told the Mirror yesterday: “Nora is passionate about this campaign. To see nothing change despite all the problems has been heartbreaking. She became increasingly frustrated at trying to provide a healthy menu with none of the extra money or training for staff promised by the Government.”

She added: “She struggled to make it work but it was demoralising to try to do it with the total lack of support. In the end, she had had enough and couldn’t continue.”

On hearing the news, a disappointed Jamie Oliver said: “It’s a great shame. Nora has made incredible changes at Kidbrooke and really struggled over the past four years without support.”

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By Emily Manson

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