About the awards

The Good School Food Awards celebrate the amazing catering teams, beautiful canteens, holiday programmes, campaigners and unsung heroes who go the extra mile every day to make sure Britain’s school children are well nourished – the heroes that make school food brilliant.

It’s been almost 20 years since the Jamie’s School Dinners documentary and we’ve come such a long way since those early days. So to celebrate that, we launched the Good School Food Awards in 2023.

We know there are so many brilliant, positive stories from schools across the country of those going above and beyond to make sure our kids – the future of our country – get the start they deserve. 

Starting in 1906, Britain has one of the oldest school meal systems in the world. It now has a workforce larger than the Royal Navy and Air Force combined, serving about 5 million meals every day; that equates to around 41 meals per second.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

When it comes to school food, it’s no secret that not all lunch trays are created equal. Schools operate on vastly different playing fields – some boast state-of-the-art kitchens and ample resources, while others face an uphill battle with limited support. 

But just imagine what could be accomplished if ALL schools had the right support and resources, what that would mean to the success of every child in the school system? Through the Good School Food Awards, and showcasing the amazing things being done – often through sheer hard work and finding money in creative places – we want to empower parents, teachers and catering staff.