The proposed changes to England’s School Food Standards represent the biggest overhaul of school food in more than a decade. While the final standards are not expected until autumn 2026, with implementation beginning in primary schools from September 2027 and secondary schools from September 2028, now is the time for schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs) to start preparing.
Whether your catering is outsourced or managed in-house, the changes will require careful planning, collaboration and the right systems to ensure compliance while continuing to serve meals that pupils actually want to eat.
What is changing?
The government’s proposed reforms aim to better align school food with the latest nutritional guidance, supporting healthier diets, improving children’s health and tackling obesity.
While the final details may change following consultation, schools can expect requirements that place greater emphasis on:
- More fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains.
- Reduced sugar, salt and highly processed foods.
- The removal of deep-fried foods.
- New standards for school breakfast provision.
- More inclusive menus that cater for allergies, SEND pupils and cultural requirements.
- Stronger accountability, including publishing menus online and greater oversight of school food.
Alongside changes to the food itself, schools are also likely to see increased expectations around demonstrating compliance, with proposals including designated governors responsible for school food and the publication of school food policies.
Compliance is only part of the challenge
Alongside compliance, schools and caterers will also need to balance nutritional requirements with rising food costs, workforce pressures, kitchen capabilities and, crucially, maintaining pupil uptake. Even the healthiest menu won’t achieve its objectives if children choose not to eat it.
For many schools, this will require a whole-school approach that brings together catering teams, leadership, governors and procurement decisions.
If your school catering is outsourced
If your school or MAT works with an external catering provider, the new standards present an ideal opportunity to review whether your current contract is delivering everything it should.
This is an area we can help with. Through our independent tender management and procurement expertise, we help schools and MATs identify catering partners that are the right fit for them and their ethos and can provide nutritious, high-quality, financially sustainable catering while meeting legislative requirements.
As the standards develop, we’ll continue supporting schools to ensure contracts, specifications and service delivery remain fit-for-purpose.
If your school catering is managed in-house
For schools and MATs operating their own catering service, having the right management tools will be essential.
Our specialist catering management system Litmus Edge has been developed specifically for education catering and will be updated to reflect the new School Food Standards as they are introduced.
The platform helps schools confidently manage compliance while reducing the administrative burden through features including:
- A School Food Standards checker that highlights where menus need adjusting.
- Easy menu planning and publishing for school websites.
- Cost modelling to help balance nutritional requirements with food budgets.
- A comprehensive recipe bank developed by chefs and nutritionists.
- Standardised recipes, cooking methods and dish photography to support consistency and quality.
- Reporting that supports school leaders and governors in demonstrating compliance.
Rather than manually checking every menu against changing regulations, schools can use Edge to make informed decisions quickly and confidently.
Start preparing now
Although implementation is still some way off, many schools and MATs have already started planning.
Reviewing catering arrangements, assessing current menus, considering governance responsibilities and investing in the right support now will make the transition significantly smoother when the new standards come into force.
If your school or MAT manages catering in-house, click here to discover how Litmus Edge can help you prepare for the new School Food Standards with smarter menu planning, simplified compliance and greater visibility of costs and performance. And if you’re reviewing your catering provision more broadly, our team can also support you with procurement, contract management and catering consultancy to ensure you’re ready for the changes ahead.
The Litmus team
