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The launch comes as the Department for Education (DfE) consults on updates to the School Food Standards (SFS) for the first time in over a decade, reflecting changes in children’s diets and growing concerns around sugar and nutrient gaps. 

As a key supporter of Veg Power and The Food Foundation’s Big Bean Boost Initiative, Chartwells’ new menus place greater emphasis on wholegrains, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables, while limiting items high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).

Designed to help caterers and pupils transition closer to the proposed changes due to come into effect in September 2027, the menus also support pupils to stay fuelled and focused. The new menus developed by Chartwells’ culinary and nutrition specialists build on dishes pupils know and love while improving nutritional balance.

Firm favourites such as bolognese, pasta with homemade sauces, fish and chips, and traditional roast dinners will remain a core part of the menu to ensure familiarity and appeal, sitting alongside new fibre-forward and plant-based options.

Meg Hughes, director of nutrition and sustainability at Chartwells, said: “The review of the School Food Standards marks an important step forward and aligns closely with the approach we’ve taken in developing our new menus.

“The way we eat has evolved since 2015, and, by prioritising wholegrains, fibre-rich breads and more beans and pulses, the proposed standards address one of the most significant gaps in children’s diets: fibre.

“We’ve been careful to balance this with the dishes pupils know and love, with popular, everyday favourites continuing to play a key role on our menus. Our offer already reflects the direction set out by the SFS, while supporting our wider commitment to increase our usage of beans and pulses by 15% over the next three years.”

For primary schools fibre-forward menu innovations include: lasagne enriched with lentils; Tex-Mex vegetable fajitas with wholegrain rice and red kidney beans; pizza with added fibre in the base; and a beef burger made with 60% meat and 40% bean and lentil mix.

Secondary school pupils’ feedback has shown they prioritise variety, the ability to eat on-the-go with friends and value for money. Chartwells has responded with a refreshed offer inspired by global street food and high street trends.

Rob Kennedy, chef at Chartwells, added: “Our new menus are about more than just meeting SFS. By using ingredients such as beans, pulses, and wholegrains in familiar, well-loved dishes, we have improved nutrition while keeping pupils engaged with meals they genuinely enjoy. These everyday food choices play an important role in helping pupils build positive relationships with food and establish healthy habits that last a lifetime.”