Council pays tribute to cherished colleague Shirley Curnick

Colleagues have paid tribute to beloved colleague Shirley Curnick, who has sadly passed away

Shirley began her journey with South Glamorgan County Council in 1979 working as a Kitchen Assistant at Palmerston Primary School and in 1996 she transferred to work for the Vale of Glamorgan Council as part of local government reorganisation.

Over the years, Shirley worked in various schools before becoming the Cook in Charge at Maes Dyfan School in Barry, where she dedicated 21 years of service before returning to where it all began at Palmerston Primary School as a Kitchen Assistant in 2014.

In 2019, Shirley’s incredible career was recognised by the Local Authority Catering Association with a Shining Star Award for her tireless commitment and care for the pupils she fed over a career spanning more than 40 years.

Shirley took pride in knowing all pupils by name, their likes and dislikes, dietary needs and regularly took part in other school activities - including a trip to watch the Lion King in London.

Shirley was also commended for her work during the national ‘Eat Them to Defeat Them’ challenge with the Big Fresh Catering Company.

The challenge saw school catering teams from across the country create a selection of dishes during competition, ensuring that vegetables were the ‘hero’ of each dish.

With an impressive 46 years of service at the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Big Fresh Catering Company, Shirley was a cherished colleague and will be deeply missed.