Sustain welcomes Chefs in Schools to the alliance

As the group explains, “We provide online and onsite training, helping schools serve up generation-powering, mind-opening, society-changing food and food education that fuels the future – all within school budgets.”

Chefs in Schools has worked with Sustain’s Children’s Food Campaign over many years. The group works to achieve change in three main ways:

1. “Leading from the front to directly support schools to implement our philosophy and transform the standards of food and food education offered.”
2. “Enabling others to follow; developing and delivering training and resources for chefs, schools and caterers to improve food and food education. We seek to be the leading voice on school food; within the media, with decision-makers, schools and within the food industry, seeking to change the system at its roots to improve school food.”
3. “Inspiring the school food workforce; providing access to training, procurement, resources and peer support.”

Chefs in Schools also works to encourage schools they work with to implement processes and ways of working that reduce negative impacts on the planet as much as is possible. “For example, we encourage schools to use sustainable suppliers, to find and work with local suppliers, to provide more vegetarian and vegan options, and to significantly reduce food waste in the way that they cook and prepare food.”

Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive of Chefs in Schools, said:

“Having worked alongside Sustain for many years, Chefs in Schools values the opportunity to become a member of the alliance in order to further support Sustain and other organisations within the sector to improve both access and quality in relationship to school food. Chefs in Schools firmly believes in the power of organising together and sharing best practice as a way of creating lasting change.”

Barbara Crowther, Manager of Sustain’s Children’s Food Campaign, said:

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chefs in Schools, as they bring huge expertise and practical can-do experience on ensuring healthy and sustainable school food, and are a hugely trusted voice in work championing good school food for all. We’re looking forward to collaborating with them further to ensure healthy, nutritious and planet-friendly food for children.”

The Chefs in Schools application to become a member of the Sustain alliance has been approved by Sustain’s Council of Trustees (July 2024) and ratified by alliance members.