Dish & Tell

Why Attend Our Exhibition?

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:15:56 GMT

The foodservice industry is constantly evolving, with new products, trends and ideas emerging all the time. Attending a foodservice exhibition is one of the easiest ways to stay informed, discover innovation and connect with suppliers, all in one place.

Discover New Products

Our annual exhibition provides an opportunity to explore the latest products, ingredients and solutions before they reach the wider market. From menu-enhancing ingredients to labour-saving innovations, visitors can see what's new and identify opportunities for their business.

Gain Fresh Inspiration

Whether you're planning seasonal menus, reviewing suppliers or looking for new ideas, exhibitions are a valuable source of inspiration. Live demonstrations, tastings and product showcases can help spark ideas that support growth and customer satisfaction.

Meet Suppliers Face-to-Face

Nothing replaces the value of a face-to-face conversation. Our exhibition offers the chance to strengthen existing relationships, meet new supplier partners and discuss your business requirements directly with industry experts.

Stay Ahead of Industry Trends

From food and drink innovation to purchasing and sustainability, our exhibition brings together the latest developments shaping the future of foodservice. Attending helps your business stay informed and make confident decisions for the year ahead.

Pre-Register Today

Don't miss the opportunity to discover new products, connect with leading suppliers and gain valuable industry insights.

Pre-register for the Savona Foodservice Exhibition 2027 and be among the first to receive event updates, exhibitor announcements and registration information.

Building a More Sustainable Supply Chain in Foodservice

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:17:09 GMT

Sustainability has always played an important role in foodservice, but as the industry continues to evolve, it is becoming increasingly central to procurement, operations and long-term business success. Organisations are seeking practical ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency and build supply chains that are fit for the future.

A sustainable supply chain is about more than environmental responsibility. It is about creating an efficient, resilient and transparent operation that supports both business performance and customer expectations.

Responsible Sourcing

Responsible sourcing is a key part of sustainable supply chain management. Businesses are placing greater emphasis on product provenance, traceability, quality and consistency when selecting suppliers. Strong sourcing strategies help organisations make informed purchasing decisions while supporting their wider sustainability goals.

Reducing Waste

Food waste remains one of the biggest challenges across the foodservice industry. Effective forecasting, stock management and menu planning can help reduce waste while improving operational efficiency. Small improvements in purchasing and inventory management can have a significant impact on both costs and sustainability performance.

Strong Supplier Partnerships

Long-term supplier relationships play an important role in building a sustainable supply chain. Working collaboratively can lead to improved delivery efficiency, product innovation, packaging improvements and greater supply chain visibility. These partnerships help businesses respond more effectively to changing customer demands and market conditions.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Technology and data are helping operators gain greater control over purchasing and stock management. By using data to identify trends, optimise ordering and monitor product performance, businesses can minimise waste and improve overall efficiency throughout their supply chain.

Building for the Future

Sustainability and resilience go hand in hand. By focusing on responsible sourcing, waste reduction, supplier collaboration and smarter procurement practices, organisations can build supply chains that are better equipped to support long-term growth.

While there is no single solution, incremental improvements across the supply chain can deliver meaningful results. Businesses that take a proactive approach today will be better positioned to meet future challenges while creating lasting value for their customers, suppliers and communities.

Choosing the Right School Catering Food Supplier

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:36:15 GMT

A reliable school catering food supplier plays a vital role in helping schools deliver nutritious, appealing and cost-effective meals. However, choosing the right supplier is about more than simply sourcing products. Schools need a partner that understands compliance, budget pressures and the changing needs of pupils.

An experienced school food supplier helps schools meet School Food Standards compliance by providing quality products, accurate nutritional information and support with menu planning. This makes it easier for catering teams to create healthy, balanced meals that support pupil wellbeing and encourage positive eating habits.

Effective school food procurement is equally important. Many schools and multi-academy trusts are looking for ways to streamline purchasing, maintain consistency and control costs. By using approved buying lists for schools, catering teams can simplify ordering while ensuring products meet required standards and specifications. This approach can also support cost control while maintaining quality and consistency across multiple sites.

Allergen management in schools remains a key priority. Catering teams need access to clear product information, allergen data and dietary guidance to support pupils with food allergies, intolerances and cultural dietary requirements. Having this information readily available helps schools manage risk and provide reassurance to parents and guardians.

Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important within education catering. Schools are seeking ways to reduce food waste, utilise seasonal ingredients and make more responsible purchasing decisions. Working with a supplier that supports these goals can help schools align their catering provision with wider environmental initiatives.

The best education catering suppliers do more than deliver food. They provide expertise, menu inspiration and practical support that help schools adapt to changing legislation, pupil preferences and operational challenges.

School Catering: More Than Just School Meals

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:23:45 GMT

School catering has evolved far beyond simply serving lunch. Today's education caterers are balancing nutrition, allergens, budgets, sustainability and compliance, all while creating meals that pupils genuinely enjoy.

Meeting the Challenges of Modern School Catering

Schools need catering solutions that support:

School Food Standards compliance
Nutritional balance
Allergen management
Cost control
Food waste reduction
Sustainable procurement
Pupil engagement

A successful school meal service must deliver healthy, compliant and cost-effective meals without compromising on quality or choice.

Creating Menus Pupils Want to Eat

Modern school menu planning is about striking the right balance between nutrition and appeal. Menu cycles, seasonal ingredients and a variety of dishes help keep meals interesting while simplifying purchasing and production. Popular trends include:

Plant-based options
World food flavours
Healthier comfort food
Grab-and-go breakfasts
Seasonal produce-led dishes

Nutrition and Allergen Management

School meals play an important role in supporting children's health and wellbeing. Caterers are increasingly focusing on:

Fruit and vegetables
Wholegrains and fibre
Pulse-based recipes
Lower sugar options
Balanced protein sources

Alongside nutrition, robust allergen management remains a priority. Accurate product information, clear labelling, staff training and strong food safety procedures are essential for supporting pupils with dietary requirements safely.

Sustainability and Cost Control

With continued pressure on budgets, schools are looking for smarter ways to manage costs while maintaining meal quality. Effective menu planning, waste reduction initiatives and thoughtful procurement can help schools make their budgets go further.

At the same time, many schools are prioritising sustainability through seasonal sourcing, reducing food waste and making environmentally conscious purchasing decisions.

Looking Ahead

Great school catering is about much more than serving food. It is about supporting pupil wellbeing, encouraging healthier eating habits and delivering nutritious, compliant and cost-effective meals every day.

By combining nutrition, compliance, sustainability and innovation, school catering can make a positive impact far beyond the dining hall.

School Meals That Support Learning, Wellbeing and Every School Day

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:15:19 GMT

When people think about school meals, they often focus on what's on the plate. In reality, modern school catering is about much more than serving lunch. Today's schools need menus that support pupil wellbeing, encourage healthy eating habits, meet compliance requirements and provide good value, all while appealing to children with different tastes and dietary needs.

As expectations around nutrition, sustainability and food education continue to grow, the role of school meals has never been more important. Schools are increasingly looking for solutions that balance quality, compliance and operational efficiency, ensuring every meal served contributes positively to the school day.

School Meals Are About More Than Nutrition

A well-planned school lunch provides more than essential nutrients. It can help pupils stay focused during lessons, support concentration throughout the afternoon and encourage positive attitudes towards food from an early age.

For many children, the school dining hall is also where they develop lifelong eating habits. Exposure to a wide variety of ingredients, fresh produce and balanced meals helps pupils become more confident trying new foods and understanding the importance of a healthy diet.

This is why effective school menu planning considers everything from nutritional balance and variety to portion sizes, presentation and seasonality. Schools are increasingly seeking nutritionally compliant school meals that deliver both health benefits and pupil satisfaction.

Creating Menus Pupils Actually Want to Eat

The most successful school menus combine nutritious ingredients with familiar, appealing dishes. While compliance remains essential, engagement is equally important. After all, a healthy meal only delivers benefits if pupils choose to eat it.

Modern school food menu ideas often include:

Global flavours and themed meal days
Seasonal fruit and vegetables
Higher-fibre ingredients and wholegrains
Plant-based and vegetarian options
Interactive food education opportunities
Familiar favourites with healthier recipes

A varied approach helps schools increase meal uptake while supporting healthier choices across primary and secondary education settings.

The Growing Importance of School Food Standards

School catering teams are operating in an increasingly regulated environment. From nutritional requirements to allergen management, compliance plays a crucial role in menu development.

Strong school standards compliance helps schools ensure pupils have access to balanced meals containing appropriate levels of fruit, vegetables, fibre and essential nutrients while controlling foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat. Schools are also placing greater emphasis on wholegrains, pulse-based dishes, fruit-led desserts and healthier cooking methods.

For catering teams, staying on top of changing regulations can be challenging, making school catering compliance and ongoing nutritional support increasingly valuable.

Allergen Management Remains a Key Priority

Alongside nutrition, food safety remains one of the most important considerations in education catering.

Effective allergen management in schools requires clear product information, accurate menu planning and robust procedures to help protect pupils with food allergies. Schools are also increasingly seeking support with:

School allergen policy support
Allergen analysis for schools
Natasha's Law compliance
Ingredient transparency
Product specification management

Having access to accurate information enables catering teams to make informed decisions while providing parents and guardians with greater confidence.

Sustainability and Seasonality in School Catering

Schools are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of food choices. As a result, many are incorporating more seasonal ingredients, reducing food waste and exploring ways to make menus more sustainable.

Seasonal menu planning not only supports sustainability goals but can also improve quality and value. Fresh produce harvested at its peak often delivers better flavour, higher availability and improved cost efficiency.

Combining sustainability with practical procurement strategies helps schools create food programmes that are both responsible and financially sustainable for the long term.

Supporting Schools Beyond the Menu

Successful school catering relies on more than ingredients alone. Schools increasingly benefit from access to expertise covering:

School food procurement
Approved buying lists for schools
School nutrition analysis
School meal menu planning
Trust-wide purchasing controls
Multi-academy trust catering support
Cost control and procurement compliance

By taking a strategic approach to purchasing and menu development, schools can improve efficiency while maintaining high standards across multiple sites.

Looking Ahead

The future of school meals will continue to focus on balancing nutrition, compliance, sustainability and pupil experience. Schools need catering solutions that help them navigate evolving legislation while delivering meals that children genuinely enjoy.

Whether it's improving school food standards, menu planning, developing healthier menus, strengthening allergen management processes or creating more effective procurement strategies, the goal remains the same: providing every pupil with access to safe, nutritious and enjoyable meals that help them thrive.

Secondary School Menu Compliance: Creating a Three-Week Menu Cycle That Works

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:16 GMT

For secondary schools, creating a menu is about much more than deciding what pupils will eat for lunch. A successful menu must balance pupil preferences, nutritional requirements, operational practicality and budget considerations, while supporting School Food Standards compliance and encouraging meal uptake across the school.

A structured three-week menu cycle remains one of the most effective approaches to secondary school menu compliance, providing enough variety to keep students engaged while helping catering teams manage procurement, allergens, nutrition and menu planning more effectively. A three-week cycle is also the typical structure used within school catering, combining hot meals with grab-and-go options to provide greater choice for secondary-age pupils.

Why a Three-Week Menu Cycle Matters

Students quickly lose interest in repetitive menus. A longer rotation allows schools to offer more variety while maintaining consistency and control.

A well-planned three-week cycle helps schools:

Reduce menu fatigue
Introduce seasonal ingredients
Support healthier eating habits
Balance compliance requirements across multiple weeks
Improve stock management and forecasting
Increase uptake by offering greater choice
Support effective school meal menu planning

For secondary schools, the menu should also reflect how students choose to eat. Alongside daily hot meals, many schools now offer wraps, deli rolls, pasta boxes, jacket potatoes and grab-and-go options as part of a broader food offer.

Understanding Secondary School Food Standards Compliance

School Food Standards compliance is a legal requirement for state-funded schools in England. The standards are designed to ensure pupils have access to nutritious food that supports concentration, learning and overall wellbeing.

When building a compliant three-week menu cycle, schools should consider both nutritional balance and food frequency requirements across the entire rotation.

Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables should be a visible part of the daily offer. Successful menus include vegetables within main meals, fresh salad bars, fruit pots and vegetable-based sides that make healthier choices easy for students. Current guidance also emphasises the importance of regular fruit and vegetable provision throughout the school day.

Protein Variety

Every day should include a quality source of protein. Across a typical three-week cycle this may include:

Chicken and poultry dishes
Beef and lamb recipes
Vegetarian meals
Pulse-based dishes
Dairy-based options
Oily fish at least once within the three-week rotation

Variety helps deliver balanced nutrition while catering for different dietary preferences.

Starchy Carbohydrates

Starchy foods remain an important part of healthy school meals, providing energy to support concentration throughout the day.

A compliant menu should include a variety of options such as:

Potatoes
Rice
Pasta
Bread products
Wholegrain alternatives

Many schools are also increasing the use of wholegrain ingredients to improve fibre intake and nutritional value.

Building a Compliant Three-Week Secondary School Menu

A strong secondary menu cycle combines nutritional balance with student choice.

Week 1 - Focus on familiar favourites such as cottage pie, pasta dishes, curries and wraps. Include at least one vegetarian main option daily and ensure fruit and vegetable choices are highly visible.

Week 2 - Introduce global flavours and seasonal ingredients. Dishes such as chilli, stir-fries, burritos and rice bowls can help drive engagement while supporting nutritional targets.

Week 3 - Create variety with roast dinners, pasta bakes, fish options and plant-based meals. This is also an ideal opportunity to include the oily fish requirement within the cycle.

Across all three weeks, pupils should have access to a mixture of:

Daily hot meals
Wraps
Deli rolls
Pasta boxes
Jacket potatoes
Fresh fruit
Desserts within compliance guidelines
Water and other permitted drinks

This wider offer reflects how many secondary schools structure their lunchtime provision today.

Managing Foods with Service Restrictions

One of the biggest challenges in school catering compliance is balancing popular dishes with food frequency restrictions.

Menu planners need to carefully manage:

Battered and breadcrumb-coated foods
Foods containing pastry
Processed meat products
Sweet baked goods
Desserts
Condiments

Rather than removing these products entirely, successful school menu planning focuses on controlling frequency across the menu cycle while offering healthier alternatives alongside them.

Allergen Management and Procurement Controls

Menu compliance extends beyond nutrition. Schools must also consider:

Allergen management in schools
Product specifications
Supplier assurance
Procurement compliance
Recipe consistency
Nutritional analysis

Many schools and trusts are now using an Approved Buying List (ABL) to ensure each site can only order products that meet their nutritional, allergen and procurement requirements. This approach simplifies compliance across individual schools and multi-academy trusts while supporting safer menu delivery.

Effective school food procurement and robust buying controls can help reduce risk, improve consistency and support compliance across every school within a trust.

Supporting Schools with Partners in Education

At Savona, our Partners in Education programme helps schools, academies and trusts navigate the complexities of secondary school menu compliance with confidence.

From approved buying lists for schools and education-compliant products to school nutrition analysis, allergen support and menu development guidance, we help catering teams create menus that balance compliance, cost control and student appeal.

By combining strong procurement processes with practical menu support, schools can deliver varied, engaging and nutritionally compliant school meals that pupils enjoy and that caterers can manage effectively.

Approved Buying Lists (ABLs): How to Improve Compliance, Allergen Control and Procurement Management

Savona Foodservice — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:38:34 GMT

In catering, every purchase matters. The products you buy impact everything from food safety and allergen management to nutrition, procurement compliance, profitability and customer satisfaction. Yet with thousands of products available, ensuring every order meets your organisation's requirements can be a challenge.

That's where Approved Buying Lists (ABLs) make a difference.

At Savona, we create bespoke Approved Buying Lists that help customers take control of purchasing, reduce risk and simplify compliance. Whether you're operating in education, healthcare, hospitality, care or workplace catering, an ABL ensures the right products are available to the right people at the right price.

What Is an Approved Buying List?

An Approved Buying List is a tailored catalogue of products that have been approved for your organisation based on your specific requirements. Rather than navigating an entire product range, users only see products that meet agreed criteria. These criteria can include:

Nutritional requirements
Allergen policies
School Food Standards
Food for Life requirements
Procurement frameworks
Contracted pricing
Product specifications
Sustainability objectives
Brand preferences

The result is a controlled purchasing environment that removes uncertainty and helps ensure consistency across sites.

Building Compliance into Every Order

Many organisations rely on policies, spreadsheets or manual checks to manage compliance. The challenge is that mistakes can happen.

By embedding an ABL directly into the ordering process, compliance becomes part of the system rather than an additional task. Only approved products are visible and available to order, helping reduce the risk of accidental purchases that fall outside agreed requirements.

For education customers, this can support School Food Standards, allergen management and nutritional objectives. For care homes, healthcare and hospitality operators, it can help maintain product consistency, dietary requirements and procurement controls across multiple sites.

Supporting Allergen and Nutritional Management

Food allergies and special dietary requirements remain a key priority for caterers. Accurate product information is essential when protecting customers, residents, patients and pupils.

Approved Buying Lists can be built around allergen policies and dietary requirements, helping ensure teams order products that align with agreed standards. Combined with access to detailed allergen and nutritional information, this gives operators greater confidence when planning menus and managing risk.

For schools, this can support wider compliance initiatives, including Natasha's Law, allergen management procedures and the delivery of healthier menus that meet School Food Standards.

Protecting Product Specifications and Pricing

Consistency is important, particularly for organisations operating across multiple sites.

ABLs ensure agreed products, specifications and prices are locked to customer accounts, helping prevent unauthorised purchases and reducing the risk of budget overspend. Whether you're managing one kitchen or an entire trust, group or contract catering operation, everyone works from the same approved range.

This not only improves control but can also support menu consistency, cost management and profitability.

Managing Supply Challenges Without Compromising Compliance

Supply interruptions occasionally occur, but that shouldn't mean compromising on standards.

If an approved product becomes unavailable, only suitable alternatives from within the approved buying framework are offered. This helps maintain compliance, nutritional integrity and operational continuity without introducing unexpected products into the supply chain.

Where changes are required, customers remain informed, ensuring complete transparency and confidence in every decision.

More Than Procurement Control

An Approved Buying List is about much more than what appears on an ordering screen.

A well-managed ABL can help organisations:

Strengthen food safety controls
Support allergen management
Maintain nutritional standards
Meet procurement requirements
Improve menu consistency
Control costs and protect margins
Reduce administrative burden
Provide greater audit and compliance confidence

For education caterers, ABLs form part of a wider approach to compliance, supporting School Food Standards, menu planning, Food for Life ambitions, allergen management and nutritional transparency.

Purchasing with Confidence

At Savona, we believe compliance, safety and cost control should be built into everyday operations. Our Approved Buying Lists combine expert knowledge, robust procurement controls and smart technology to help customers order with confidence.

Whether you're supporting thousands of school meals, serving care home residents or managing a busy commercial kitchen, an Approved Buying List helps ensure every purchase aligns with your standards, your budget and your objectives.

Savona Foodservice Opens New £3 Million London Depot for Future Growth

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:41:10 GMT

As our customer base and product range have continued to grow, so needs greater capacity. The 50,000 square foot site has given us a larger, more efficient facility designed to support our customers today while preparing us for future growth.

At the heart of the expansion is a significant increase in warehouse capacity, including over 2,000 additional freezer and chiller pallet spaces. This means greater product availability and the ability to offer an even broader range of products.

We've also introduced new racking systems, an upgraded warehouse layout and realigned delivery areas at our long-established Oxford site. These improvements have streamlined our operations, increased efficiency and improved order accuracy.

For our customers, the result is simple: more capacity behind the scenes, helping us deliver the reliable service they know and expect from Savona.

The increased storage and improved infrastructure also strengthen our supply chain, giving us greater flexibility when demand increases and helping us respond more effectively during busy periods and changing market conditions.

The expansion has also supported the launch of our new Culinary Collection, creating opportunities for further product development and innovation. By broadening our offering, we are attracting new customers across a wide range of sectors while continuing to provide greater choice and inspiration for existing customers.

This investment isn't just about the building. It's about our people too.

As we continue to grow, our new depot creates further opportunities for training, development and career progression, helping our teams build their futures with us.

And while the fit-out was taking place, it was business as usual. Our teams continued working tirelessly throughout the project to maintain the high standards of service, reliability and customer care our customers rely on every day.

We officially opened the expanded facility on 29th September, with Frank Bothwell, owner and founder of Thomas Franks, doing the honours of cutting the ribbon and marking the occasion.

We were proud to celebrate this milestone alongside our valued suppliers, loyal customers and long-standing partner, Country Range Group. We look forward to seeing the difference this investment will make for our customers, suppliers, colleagues and the wider community.

Our investment in the future doesn’t stop here. We're excited to announce plans to introduce a Development Kitchen and dedicated meeting spaces at our London depot. Designed for both internal and external use, the new facilities will bring customers and suppliers together for training sessions, product development workshops and collaborative meetings, creating even more opportunities to innovate and grow together.

This is more than a bigger depot. It's an important step forward for Savona Foodservice and another investment in our ability to support the foodservice industry across London and the South East for years to come.

Savona Foodservice Unveils £3 Million London Depot Expansion to Support Growth and Innovation | Savona Foodservice

Caitlin Davies — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:10:45 GMT

Savona Foodservice has officially opened the doors to its new London distribution depot, marking an exciting new chapter for our business and a significant investment in our future across London and the South East.

As our customer base and product range have continued to grow, so has the need for greater capacity. The 50,000 square foot site has given us a larger, more efficient facility designed to support our customers today while preparing us for future growth.

At the heart of the expansion is a significant increase in warehouse capacity, including over c. 2,000 additional freezer and chiller pallet spaces. This means greater product availability and the ability to offer an even broader range of products.

We’ve also introduced new racking systems, an upgraded warehouse layout and realigned delivery areas with our long established Oxford site. These improvements have streamlined our operations, increased efficiency and improved order accuracy.

For our customers, the result is simple: more capacity behind the scenes, helping us deliver the reliable service they know and expect from Savona.

This investment isn’t just about the building. It’s about our people too.

As we continues to grow, our new depot creates further opportunities for training, development and career progression, helping our teams build their futures with us.

We officially opened the expanded facility on 29th September, with Frank Bothwell owner and founder of Thomas Franks, doing the honours of cutting the ribbon and marking the occasion.

Our investment in the future doesn’t stop here. We’re excited to announce plans to introduce a development kitchen and dedicated meeting spaces at our London depot. Designed for both internal and external use, the new facilities will bring customers and suppliers together for training sessions, product development workshops and collaborative meetings, creating even more opportunities to innovate and grow together.

This is more than a bigger depot. It’s an important step forward for Savona Foodservice and another investment in our ability to support the foodservice industry across London and the South East for years to come.

Building healthier school meals: A practical guide for schools

marketing@savona.co.uk (Marketing) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:48:04 GMT

Healthy school food is about more than meeting nutritional requirements. A varied menu helps give pupils the energy they need throughout the school day and introduces them to foods they may not have tried before.

For catering teams, the challenge is to make that menu nutritious, appealing and practical to serve. Colour, flavour and a welcoming dining experience all matter. So does talking to pupils about what is on offer and encouraging them to try something new.

Here are the key principles for building healthier school menus in England.

Build variety into the week

A balanced menu includes plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods, alongside some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, plus milk and dairy foods. Foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt should make up only a small part of the diet.

Offer a wide range of ingredients and dishes across the week to keep menus interesting. Where possible, choose fresh, locally sourced and sustainably produced ingredients. Produce from a school vegetable garden can give pupils another way to connect with the food on their plates.

Make starchy foods a daily staple

Offer at least one portion of starchy food every day, with three different starchy foods across the week. Include a wholegrain variety at least once a week, and make bread without added fat or oil available daily.

These foods help pupils feel full and can form the basis of familiar, satisfying meals. Varying the options across the week is a practical way to keep the menu fresh.

Give fruit and vegetables a place every day

Provide at least one portion of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment each day, along with at least one portion of fruit. Across the week, offer at least three different fruits and three different vegetables.

A dessert containing at least 50% fruit should feature on two or more days each week. Colourful displays and seasonal choices can also help make fruit and vegetables appealing to pupils.

Serve dairy foods and protein regularly

Include a portion of food from the milk and dairy group every day. Lower-fat milk must be available to drink at least once a day during school hours.

Offer a portion of protein-rich food every day. Meat or poultry should feature on at least three days each week, and oily fish at least once every three weeks. A portion of non-dairy protein should be offered on at least three days each week, giving catering teams scope to build variety into the menu.

Meat or poultry products are limited to once a week in primary schools and twice a week in secondary schools. This limit applies across the whole school day.

Keep an eye on restricted foods

Familiar favourites can still have a place on the menu, within the relevant limits. Deep-fried, battered or breadcrumb-coated foods are limited to two portions per week, as are foods containing pastry. Baked beans are limited to once a week, the guide recommends choosing lower-sugar and lower-salt varieties.

Confectionery, chocolate and chocolate-coated products should not be served. Salt must not be available for pupils to add after cooking, and condiments are limited to 10g or one teaspoon per portion. Flavour enhancers such as MSG are also excluded.

Herbs, spices and a varied choice of ingredients can help catering teams create dishes full of flavour.

Make water the easy choice

Free, fresh drinking water must be available at all times. Keeping it easy to find and access helps make water the natural choice throughout the school day.

Other permitted drinks include lower-fat or lactose-reduced milk, and plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium. Fruit or vegetable juice is limited to a 150ml serving. Permitted combination drinks are limited to 330ml, may contain no more than 150ml of fruit or vegetable juice, and must meet the guide’s conditions on added sugars or honey.

Think about food beyond lunch

Pupils may also eat at school before lessons or during breaks. The school food standards include rules relevant to these offerings, so it is worth reviewing the whole school day when planning menus.

At breakfast, cakes, biscuits, pastries, savoury crackers and breadsticks are not permitted. Desserts are also excluded, apart from yoghurt or fruit-based desserts containing at least 50% fruit.

Support pupils with food allergies and intolerances

Schools and caterers should work closely with parents to support pupils with allergies, intolerances and other medical dietary needs. Clear communication helps catering teams understand what each pupil needs and serve food with confidence.

Bring the whole school into the conversation

Good school food depends on more than the menu. Caterers, school staff, families and pupils can all help create a positive food culture. Talking to children about what they are eating, offering variety and making mealtimes enjoyable can help healthy choices become part of everyday school life.

At Savona, we understand the pressures school catering teams face, from meeting dietary requirements to managing budgets and keeping pupils interested. With quality ingredients and practical menu support, we can help you create school meals that are nutritious, appealing and easier to deliver.

Speak to your account manager to discover how Savona can help you rethink the plate.

Dish & Tell

Why Attend Our Exhibition?

Discover New Products

Gain Fresh Inspiration

Meet Suppliers Face-to-Face

Stay Ahead of Industry Trends

Pre-Register Today

Building a More Sustainable Supply Chain in Foodservice

Responsible Sourcing

Reducing Waste

Strong Supplier Partnerships

Data-Driven Decision Making

Building for the Future

Choosing the Right School Catering Food Supplier

School Catering: More Than Just School Meals

Meeting the Challenges of Modern School Catering

Creating Menus Pupils Want to Eat

Nutrition and Allergen Management

Sustainability and Cost Control

Looking Ahead

School Meals That Support Learning, Wellbeing and Every School Day

School Meals Are About More Than Nutrition

Creating Menus Pupils Actually Want to Eat

The Growing Importance of School Food Standards

Allergen Management Remains a Key Priority

Sustainability and Seasonality in School Catering

Supporting Schools Beyond the Menu

Looking Ahead

Secondary School Menu Compliance: Creating a Three-Week Menu Cycle That Works

Why a Three-Week Menu Cycle Matters

Understanding Secondary School Food Standards Compliance

Fruit and Vegetables

Protein Variety

Starchy Carbohydrates

Building a Compliant Three-Week Secondary School Menu

Managing Foods with Service Restrictions

Allergen Management and Procurement Controls

Supporting Schools with Partners in Education

Approved Buying Lists (ABLs): How to Improve Compliance, Allergen Control and Procurement Management

What Is an Approved Buying List?

Building Compliance into Every Order

Supporting Allergen and Nutritional Management

Protecting Product Specifications and Pricing

Managing Supply Challenges Without Compromising Compliance

More Than Procurement Control

Purchasing with Confidence

Savona Foodservice Opens New £3 Million London Depot for Future Growth

Savona Foodservice Unveils £3 Million London Depot Expansion to Support Growth and Innovation | Savona Foodservice

Building healthier school meals: A practical guide for schools

Build variety into the week

Make starchy foods a daily staple

Give fruit and vegetables a place every day

Serve dairy foods and protein regularly

Keep an eye on restricted foods

Make water the easy choice

Think about food beyond lunch

Support pupils with food allergies and intolerances

Bring the whole school into the conversation

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