On 8th April, Red Box attended the School Food Review Consultant Roundtable, joining industry professionals for an important discussion on the future of school food provision. Bringing together consultants and sector stakeholders, the session focused on some of the most pressing challenges facing school catering today — from delivering food standards and navigating funding pressures, to defining what best practice looks like in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Several areas were discussed throughout the day including:

1. Why School Food Matters More Than Ever

A key theme throughout the session was the fundamental importance of school food in supporting not just nutrition, but wider outcomes across education and society.

As highlighted during the discussion, access to high-quality school meals has a direct impact on pupil wellbeing, attendance, attainment, and equality. However, the current system is not delivering consistently, reinforcing the need for meaningful reform across access, quality, and funding.

2. Addressing Challenges in School Food Delivery

The roundtable explored the practical realities of delivering school food standards, with a strong focus on the role consultants play in shaping outcomes.

Several recurring challenges were identified, including:

• The difficulty of balancing cost pressures with quality expectations
• The need for greater transparency and clarity in tender processes
• Ensuring early engagement with schools to fully understand their ethos and priorities

There was clear consensus that consultants have a crucial role to play in supporting schools and caterers, particularly by creating procurement processes that prioritise nutrition, sustainability, and pupil experience, rather than focusing solely on cost.

3. Funding Pressures and Procurement Barriers

Funding remains one of the most significant constraints within school catering.

Discussions highlighted how overly price-driven procurement models can limit innovation and discourage investment in food quality, staff development, and student engagement.

Attendees also raised concerns around:

• Rigid or overly prescriptive specifications
• Limited opportunities for dialogue during tender processes
• Incomplete or unclear data provided to bidders
• High-risk contract structures and unrealistic expectations

These challenges can ultimately prevent caterers from delivering their best proposals — and in turn, impact the quality of provision schools receive.

4. Defining Best Practice in School Food Consultancy

A major focus of the session was identifying what “good” looks like when it comes to consultancy in this space.

Best practice was consistently linked to:

• Open, honest, and transparent communication
• Creating a level playing field for all bidders
• Providing clear evaluation criteria beyond just price
• Allowing sufficient time and insight for tailored, high-quality proposals
• Maintaining a strong focus on educational outcomes and pupil wellbeing

There was also discussion around the role of frameworks, with mixed feedback. While they can support fairness and consistency, concerns were raised about their tendency to prioritise cost over quality and limit flexibility.

The roundtable formed part of a wider series of discussions contributing to the School Food Review’s ongoing work, with outputs expected to inform engagement with policymakers and the Department for Education.

A clear takeaway from the session was the need for a more transparent, informed, and collaborative approach across the sector — one that empowers schools, supports caterers, and ultimately delivers better outcomes for pupils.

Events like this roundtable are invaluable in helping Red Box stay close to the challenges our clients face, ensuring we continue to provide solutions that are practical, informed, and aligned with the needs of modern education settings.