More than meals: new standards in education catering

Education catering is no longer just about feeding pupils – it is about delivering health, learning, social value and community impact, all within tight financial constraints.

Arena’s “Feeding the Future: Rethinking Catering in Education” seminar brought together operators, suppliers and sector experts to explore this shifting landscape. The panel, chaired by Nicola Knight, Head of Away From Home at IGD, featured Tracey Smith (CEO, Schools & Universities, Sodexo UK & Ireland), Meg Hughes (Director of Nutrition and Sustainability, Compass Education), Luke Consiglio (Founder and CEO, The Pantry), and Deborah Batchelor (Managing Director, Stir Food). Together, they provided a cross-sector perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing schools, caterers and suppliers.

A sector defined by scale, not value

Education catering sits within the away from home market as a low-value but high-volume sector. It represents just 3% of total market value, yet accounts for 13% of meals and 14% of outlets, with more than 47,000 sites and over 1.2 billion meals served annually.

State schools dominate demand, and the expansion of free school meals is expected to add around 100 million additional meals per year in the near term. However, this growth is offset by long-term demographic trends, with falling birth rates likely to reduce pupil numbers over time.

For caterers and suppliers, this reinforces a critical point: success depends on efficiency, consistency and the ability to scale, rather than margin-driven growth.

Operating in a squeezed environment

The sector continues to operate under significant pressure. Food inflation, supply chain disruption and constrained household budgets are impacting families, caterers and suppliers alike.

Funding remains a major constraint. England has the lowest per-meal funding across the home nations, and while increases are being made, they are widely seen as insufficient given the scale of expectations.

Operators face a difficult balancing act:

• Costs cannot easily be passed on

• Compliance and quality must be maintained

• Delivery expectations continue to rise

As a result, the sector is being forced to rethink how it operates – from menus and formats to labour models and supply chains.

From meals to “essential services”

A defining theme of the discussion was the expanding role of school catering. School meals are now seen as essential services that support:

• Learning and concentration

• Food security

• Health and nutrition outcomes

• Social and community wellbeing

For some children, a school meal may be the most nutritious meal they receive all day.

This shift has elevated the role of catering teams, who are increasingly viewed as part of the wider school support system. With this comes a broader set of expectations. Operators are now required to deliver:

• Nutrition expertise and food education

• Robust allergen management

• Sustainability targets and reporting

• Meaningful social value initiatives

What was once considered added value is now a baseline requirement.

Winning with pupils: fundamentals still matter

Despite the growing complexity, the panel emphasised that in primary and secondary education uptake remains critical. Even the most nutritionally balanced meal has no value if it is not eaten.

For suppliers and operators, this creates a key tension: improving nutrition while maintaining familiarity, appeal and accessibility.

In further education and university settings, research by Délifrance shows students consistently prioritise four fundamentals:

• Taste

• Value

• Quality

• Convenience

Importantly, these are not seen as trade-offs – all must be delivered simultaneously. Lunch remains the key consumption occasion, with strong on-campus demand but a need to compete with the high street.

Operational realities shaping innovation

Operational constraints are central to what works in education catering.

In primary schools, simplicity is essential:

• Familiar dishes drive acceptance

• Parents want clarity and reassurance

• Kitchens require consistency and ease of delivery

In secondary schools, expectations shift:

• Pupils seek a more retail-style food experience

• Grab-and-go formats, customisation and bold flavours gain importance

• Speed of service is critical due to short lunch windows

Across both segments, successful innovation tends to focus on evolution rather than replacement. Enhancing familiar dishes – for example by adding vegetables, fibre or pulses – is more effective than introducing entirely new concepts.

The goal is to make healthier choices easy and appealing, rather than forcing behaviour change.

New standards, real-world challenges

The proposed new school food standards were a major focus of the discussion. While there is strong support for improving children’s health, concerns remain around cost, implementation and unintended consequences.

One key issue is competition from packed lunches. If school meals are subject to tighter regulation while packed lunches are not, pupils may opt out of school meals, undermining health outcomes.

Operational feasibility is another concern, particularly in secondary schools where high-volume, fast-service models are essential. Any new standards must work within these realities.

The panel agreed that change is achievable, but only with:

• Sufficient time for reformulation and testing

• Clear communication across the supply chain

• Collaborative, practical implementation planning

Actions for manufacturers and wholesalers

For suppliers looking to succeed in education catering, the seminar provided clear guidance:

1. Engage early and proactively

• Start conversations with operators well ahead of regulatory changes

• Provide visibility on reformulation and product development pipelines

2. Understand the operational environment

• Visit schools and observe service in action

• Design products that work within real-world constraints, not ideal scenarios

3. Reformulate with purpose

• Focus on nutritionally improved versions of familiar foods

• Ensure products meet compliance requirements without sacrificing appeal

4. Prioritise clarity on allergens

• Provide accurate, detailed and timely information

• Avoid overuse of precautionary labelling that limits usability

  5. Support labour and cost pressures

• Develop products that simplify preparation and reduce kitchen complexity

• Help operators maintain quality while managing resources

6. Bring insight, not just products

• Support customers with data on uptake, waste, nutrition and cost

• Help operators make informed decisions that improve outcomes

  7. Align with broader value requirements

• Build propositions around sustainability, social value and education

• Tailor initiatives to the needs of individual school communities

8. Collaborate to shape the future

• Work alongside operators and industry bodies

• Use your voice to support realistic funding and implementation

Final thought

The education sector is evolving rapidly, with rising expectations placed on operators and their supply partners. As the seminar made clear, ambition alone is not enough. Delivering better school food will require collaboration, innovation and practical solutions that work in the real world.

For manufacturers and wholesalers, those who can combine compliance, cost efficiency and a deep understanding of operational realities will be best positioned to succeed in a sector where scale is significant, expectations are rising, and impact has never mattered more.

Looking for more insight?

Read our UK Education sector reports:

Part 1: The fundamentals

Part 2: The future