Pupils and parents in Cambridgeshire can now go online to vote for the meals they want to appear on school menus.

A new initiative means they will be able to leave comments on schools meals and see which attract the most votes. The most popular dishes will then be put on the next round of menus.

Cambridgeshire is one of four local authority catering teams who have set up a Ratings and Review section on their website at www.myschoollunch.co.uk. The sites go live on Monday 3 November and will help school caterers plan the menus and achieve the nutritional standards set down by the Government.

Richard Ware, Head of Catering and Cleaning at Cambridgeshire County Council said: "This is an excellent idea, as it allows us to get much closer to our customers. I welcome customer feedback, both positive and negative. In fact negatives are easier to deal with as they can usually be quickly corrected and in this way we can increase the confidence of parents in the service we offer.

"It is really important that parents and children have input into the menus we serve; if they like the dishes on the menu they are far more likely to stay for lunch. I am looking forward to seeing the results and I hope parents take up this opportunity to provide feedback. We have put details of the new Ratings and Review section in our latest menu leaflet that has just gone out to schools."

Arnold Fewell, Managing Director of AVF Marketing, who created the website added: "Websites must keep up with current trends. The Ratings and Review section achieves that while obtaining vital information about the food served. It will be one of the new ways of delivering child friendly menus that children eat on a regular basis and meet the Government's nutritional standards."