Leading school meals provider apetito launches a brand-new market research report, exploring the expectations and priorities of pupils, parents and decision-makers across the sector for the future of school food.

Featuring research conducted earlier this year, the report reveals a significant gap between children's appetite for school meals and their enthusiasm for what's on the menu, with only a third (36 per cent) of children looking forward to eating the dishes being served. It also highlights a growing need to move school food provision beyond simply meeting nutritional standards and towards delivering enjoyable mealtime experiences with food that children genuinely want to eat.

The report explores the expectations of children and parents around school meals and provides valuable insight for schools into the role that taste, familiar flavours and food presentation play in children's school meal experience. It also highlights how schools can enhance the dining environment to support children’s engagement with and enjoyment of school food.

While the introduction of new School Food Standards presents an important opportunity to improve children's nutrition, the report highlights why nutritional standards must be considered alongside the wider mealtime experience, as children will only benefit from these improvements if the food being served is actually eaten.

Commenting on the launch of the report, Rupert Weber, General Manager of Education said:

“This market research report provides important insights into the current state of school food provision, spotlighting the priorities, challenges and opportunities facing schools today. The findings reinforce that delivering high-quality mealtimes is about more than meeting nutritional standards alone. It's also about ensuring children are served meals they genuinely want to eat.

"By better understanding the expectations and experiences of pupils, parents and schools, the sector can continue to improve school meals. We're committed to supporting schools in delivering mealtime experiences that are engaging and enjoyable for children, ensuring they get the full nutritional and wellbeing benefits from every meal."

To learn more about the research findings and current state of the sector, download the full report here.