It's been a big year for our Charity Partner, Chefs in Schools - from school kitchens and national screens to policy progress and lunchtime revolutions, 2024/25 has already been packed with progress.
Throughout the year…
- Over 33,265 children were reached
- 1724 hours of training were delivered to school chefs
- 168 schools were supported this year (454 schools supported to date)
- 1000 parents were polled on school food quality
School Chefs in the Spotlight
2024/25 has seen school chefs step into the national spotlight - and rightfully so. Their creativity, skill, and passion for feeding young people nutritious, exciting food has never been more recognised:
- Amber Francis was crowned Champion of Champions on Great British Menu - a huge win for school food.
- Nathan Scarlett took home School Chef Champion at the Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards.
- Russ Ball not only won a national School Food Award but also gave evidence in Parliament - representing the voice of school kitchens at the highest level.
Across the country, schools raised the bar on food and education:
- Menus now include fresh focaccia, homemade bagels, and even venison.
- Initiatives like "Try Something New Tuesdays" are helping young people expand their palates.
- Our Chef Educators are delivering inspiring food lessons in classrooms.
- And new community kitchens and growing spaces are helping schools connect food, learning, and community.
Click here to see the top school kitchen moments from this year – there were so many!
Driving Policy Change: A Year of Big Steps Forward
This year marked two major breakthroughs in the fight for better school food:
- Eligibility for Free School Meals was expanded, helping more children access the meals they need.
- A long-overdue review of the School Food Standards was finally announced - a crucial step toward ensuring quality food in every school.
Chefs in Schools surveyed 1,000 parents to make sure their voices were heard and recently launched their 'Future of School Food' campaign - inviting the public to help shape a better, fairer vision for what school meals can and should be.
Read more about the policy change from government here, and the campaign here.
Your Support in Action: Charitable Impact So Far in 2025
Every e-book purchased and every donation made plays a part in transforming school food.
From January to the beginning of July 2025 alone, you've helped raise £22,802.95 through cash donations and supported the sale of 97 e-books - all contributing directly to Chefs in Schools' mission.
You can find out more about our latest e-book, 19 Years in Food & Beverage trends, HERE.
Looking at the bigger picture, together we've now raised a total of £159,509.37 and sold 1,274 e-books since our partnership began in November 2020.
Your continued support helps put chefs into schools, fund food education, and ensure children are eating well - thank you!
Click HERE to find out more about the TFP Foundation and how we support food, health and education in children and young people.