A SCHOOL yesterday celebrated its 30th anniversary by treating pupils to a very special lunch.

Martin Strangwood, chef at Yarm School, has worked in some of the top hotels and restaurants in the world.

Yesterday, he drew on all his skills to give the 600 pupils a meal to remember.

A roast hog dinner was followed by a giant anniversary cake which would not have looked out of place in the finest establishment.

The two-tier cake - the base measured 1.2m by 60cm - used 380 eggs and 20kg of chocolate.

The base was adorned with fresh strawberries and raspberries, while the upper tier featured orchids and a large number 30 shaped in boiled sugar.

The cake, which also featured chocolate mousse, took four hours to make - and considerably less to devour. The hog turned slowly on a spit overnight.

A spokesman for the school said the meal had been a big operation for Mr Strangwood and his team, Carol Wilson and Lucy Granville.

"Martin has been with us for five years or so and we are very lucky to have him," he said.

"The cake is definitely not for those on a diet and the hog looks pretty good too; it smells wonderful."

The special lunch for pupils and staff was held 30 years to the day since the school opened. Its first day of term was Thursday, September 18, 1978.