Bite Back's School Food Story
School food is more than a meal. School food can provide access to nutritious meals for children that may be experiencing food insecurity. It can significantly improve educational outcomes, and school is the ONLY place where we can make absolutely certain that all children are getting a decent meal. The school canteen is a space for connection, friendship, and a space to prioritise children’s health.
Yet the voices of young people are often cut out of the school food conversation. That’s why we’ve been campaigning for better school food, increasing access to free school meals, and bringing young people to the centre of the conversation. We’ve done this through our Bite Back in Schools programme and by amplifying the lived experiences of our Youth Board.
Find out more about our school food journey, and the successes we’ve marked along the way:
2020
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Free School Meals Campaign
│ Petition launched Christina launches a petition demanding free school meals during COVID lockdown.
│ 430k signatures
│ 14M children supported “No child should go hungry.”
2021
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School Food is a Postcode Lottery
│ Youth research reveals Young people across the country tell us their experience. High prices, Unhealthy options, Long queues.
“During exams I relied on energy drinks because it was cheaper than a meal.”
│ Bite Back in Schools launch a fully funded programme that empowers students in 50 schools across England to take social action and make a real difference to their school food experience.
2022
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We kept up the momentum
│ Teachers open letter 600 teachers signed an open letter calling on the then-Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to act. In response to our open letter, the Government piloted new measures for schools to report on the School Food Standards – but this is yet to make a difference.
│ Spill the beans Youth panellists across the country expose the truth about school food in England in conversations with our Youth Board
"Everyone goes outside, barely anyone sits in the canteen because we don’t have that much hot food, most of it is pick-up-and-go. They have loads of canned and bottled fizzy drinks, subs and cookies and all of those things."
2023
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Petition Delivered to Downing Street
│ 250k signatures Our activists hand-deliver 250,000 signatures to the Government.
│ Taking over Westminster Our ads cover Westminster tube station, making sure MPs see our mission.
2025
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Big Food In Schools
│ Investigation Our investigation exposes how junk food companies target schools through: branded curriculum, sponsored trips and reward schemes.
"The (Starbucks) food and drink options range from different types of coffee and frappes to fizzy drinks, and the food options are mainly doughnuts, brownies and other sweet treats."
│ Bite Back in Schools 2.0 Our programme has now expanded to over 100 schools, and stepped into Scotland for the first time.
│ Award-winning activism Students at Howden School receive a Sustain Children's Food Young Change-maker Award for campaigning work they've done through Bite Back in Schools.
2026
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THE GOVERNMENT COMMITS
│ Free School Meals Expansion In June 2025, the Government announces they aim to expand free school meals to all families in receipt of Universal Credit by September 2026, meaning 500,000 more children will now receive free school meals.
│ School Food Standards Alongside the expansion of free school meals, the Government commit to reviewing the School Food Standards.
Bite Back in Schools
"As Head of Programmes and former teacher, I see firsthand the difference it makes when young people are trusted to lead change. When fruit pots are twice the price of cakes, and long lunch queues force students to choose between eating and using the bathroom, we cannot pretend the playing field is level.
Through the Bite Back in Schools programme, students see their ideas taken seriously by catering teams and school leaders. They grow in confidence, develop leadership and advocacy skills, and realise their voices have power. We’re not just improving school food environments — we’re equipping young people with the tools to challenge injustice and create lasting change."
— Daniel Gallacher, Head of Programmes at Bite Back
We’ve Only Scratched the Surface
Young people are proving that change is possible.
But the fight for better school food continues.