Our Journey

OCT 2019

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Bite Back is Born

12 youth activists hungry for change release Triple Dipped Chicken, a film capturing the sinister tactics that advertisers use to shove junk down our throats. Our Youth Board has been biting back at corporate manipulation ever since.

Bite Back's Youth Board in 2019: eleven teenagers stand in a courtyard together with chef Jamie Oliver.

Apr 2020

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Fighting for Free School Meals

One of our founding campaigners, Christina Adane, petitions for free school meals in the holidays. She gets 430k signatures, sparking Government u-turns for the Easter break and May half-term.

Christina, a young black woman, and Jacob, a young white man, talk to a guest at Bite Back's launch event.

Jul 2020

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Switching Off TV Junk Food Ads Before 9pm

Lewisham-based activist Tasha challenges then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deliver on his Obesity Plan. We publish an open letter in The Guardian. Success! Boris announces a 9pm watershed on TV junk food advertising.

A teenage girl sits looking at the camera. She has her hair styled in long braids and is wearing a black leather jacket, black jeans and a white tshirt. She has one hand on her knee and the other on the table.

Oct 2020

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Challenging Food Giants to Do Better

We launch our Feed Britain Better report. Our Youth Board presents it at our first Youth Summit. We start showing our teeth by challenging executives from Tesco and Nestle to respond.

A young woman standing on a platform speaks through a microphone to a larger crowd.

Jan – May 2021

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Minimising Online Junk Food Ads

How many junk food ads do companies shove down our throats every day? Enough that Dev, one of our activists in Leicester, was hearing from Uber Eats more than his grandma. He campaigns to end junk food advertising online. After he presents new evidence to MPs, Bite Back research is discussed in Parliament and we meet the Public Health Minister. The Government announces an end to online advertising in the Queen's Speech.

A teenage boy speaks passionately, with chef Jamie Oliver watching on.

Aug 2021

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London and Birmingham Join the Fight

We welcome a host of new campaigners from London and Birmingham ready to bite back at the flood of junk food advertising in their cities by launching their own local campaigns. They call on the Mayor of the West Midlands and London Councils to protect child health, gathering over 1,000 petition signatures, launching a youth manifesto, and meeting directly with people in power.

Three teenage girls stand in a row, holding signs reading 'take charge, raise your voice, make change', 'people before fast food company profit' and 'protect our health'.

Aug 2021

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Kicking Junk out of Sports

Sutton-based activist Jacob launches a campaign to end KP Snacks’ sponsorship of The Hundred, a new cricket tournament that aims to get young people into the sport. We sponsor Dulwich Hamlet FC to help make a case for healthier sponsorship options.

A crowd of teenagers stand in Dulwich Hamlet FC stadium in front of a sign saying 'let's kick junk food out of sports'.

Sep 2021

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Introducing School Food Champions

We welcome 50 schools to our first School Food Champions programme. Over the next year, they recruit teams of passionate young change makers to lead on social action projects to improve school food, and how and where it's served.

Oct 2021

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Telling Companies: Don’t Hide What’s Inside

At our second Youth Summit we launch our new campaign against misleading health claims. Whether it’s “High in protein”, “No Added Sugar”, or “All natural ingredients” – companies wrap products that aren’t good for us in language that makes us think they are. Our second major film, Mascot Anonymous, kicks off a campaign for repeat offenders like Innocent, Müller and Kelloggs to stop taking us for fools.

A group of teenagers stand outside Kelloggs HQ, holding protest signs that read 'Don't Hide Whats Inside'.

Feb 2022

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Spilling the Beans on School Food

We chat with 13-18 year olds across the country, and reveal that school food is a postcode lottery. We release an open letter signed by 600 teachers calling on the Education Secretary to act, and young activist Gavriella meets with Nadhim Zahawi. In response, the Government announces new measures for schools to report on the School Food Standards.

Former Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi with Bite Back campaigner Gavriella.

Jul 2022

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Introducing Community Food Champions

750 young people became Community Food Champions. Delivered in partnership with UK Youth, the programme helps young people learn about the food system and investigate the challenges they face in accessing healthy and nutritious food locally.

A young black woman with afro style hair and wearing a brown square necked top is playing rock, paper, scissors with someone out of frame. She has a beautiful smile and her hand is outstretched in a paper formation.

Jun 2022 - Jan 2023

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Making Free School Meals Fairer

Gut punch: there are 900,000 young people in England who are currently living in poverty but don’t have access to free school meals. We gather 250k signatures on our petition to extend eligibility. Then 50 Bite Back youth activists deliver our petition to 10 Downing Street by hand, while the rest of us protest on parliament square. We take out ads in Westminster tube station to make sure MPs see it.

Two posters on the tube one showing a clock saying "The time to act is NOW #FreeSchoolMeals", the other saying "Dear MPs, I am not eligible for the free school meals I need to do well in school. How can that be ok? The time to act is NOW #FreeSchoolMeals"
Play

Aug 2022

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Getting Bigger and Bolder

We welcome young campaigners to the movement in Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and Manchester. They work with local councils to restrict junk food advertising on streets, public transport, and in council-owned spaces. They challenge the role of junk food marketing in sport by asking local teams to prioritise child health over junk food sponsors, and work with students to explore how the cultural variety of school food impacts their health.

Two teenage girls stand in front of a brick wall, holding handwritten signs reading 'stop junk food taking over' and 'end food injustice'.

Feb 2023

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Inspiring Food Activists Around the World

Christina Adane and the Bite Back team join forces with UNICEF to inspire young food activists in Bangkok, Thailand to campaign for change.

A young woman speaks through a microphone, wearing a t-shirt with the Bite Back logo on it.

Jun 2023

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Standing Up to Junk Food Giants in Tower Hamlets

We challenged the Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets and the Tower Hamlets Youth Council to end junk food advertising in the Borough. After a year of relentless campaigning, our work finally paid off.

A group of young people standing in a dimly lit hallway all smiling excitedly, Mia is standing on the far left. She is a white girl with very long brown curly hair, wearing a grey sweatshirt with an orange Bite Back logo on it and a plaid skirt and tights

Introducing Bite Back 2.0

Play

Sep 2023

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Brand Refresh

Don’t recognise us? We’re still Bite Back, but we’ve got a whole new story to tell. We’re taking the tactics of big food companies and throwing them back in their faces, calling out manipulation as we see it.

A group of young people posing with a sign that says 'we're biting back' in red and black writing. They are stood in an open field, with strong facial expressions like they are mimicking a lion's roar, and baring their teeth. Some of the young people have their fists raised.

Feb 2024

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Fuel Us, Don't Fool Us

We launched ground breaking research showing that 7 out of 10 of the biggest food and drink manufacturers make their money from selling mostly unhealthy products. We followed up with reports revealing the child appealing tactics they use and their impact on planetary health. Click here to find out more.

Young activists Vin (left) a young man with tanned skin and thick curly hair and Jacob (right) a young man with white skin and short blonde curls standing with their backs to camera showing the Fuel Us Don't Fool Us logo.

Aug 2024

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Giving Kids A Commercial Break

We went big. Fed up with being bombarded by endless junk food ads we took over ad space and billboards at family attractions and central shopping points across the UK, so that junk food giants couldn't. Take Action

Bite Back activists Carrera, Molly & Alice stand in front of Bite Back's billboard, it reads Young Activists Bought This Ad Space So That Junk Food Giants Couldn't

Apr 2025

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Commercial Break Goes Big

Our biggest moment yet. We re-launched our billboards across 365 ad spaces in London, bringing our youth activists together to call for a break from junk food ads.

Bite Back activists Luke, Molly, Destiny and Farid are standing in front of the a billboard at London Bridge. The advert reads Young Activists Bought This Ad Space So The Junk Food Giants Couldn't. We're Giving Kids A hashtag Commercial Break

Aug 2025

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The Community Bites Back

Our billboards got banned by the biggest outdoor advertising companies, causing thousands to rise in support of our mission and reclaim spaces.

Three Bite Back activists sit infront of an outdoor billboard wearing high vis. They are looking down at the camera with defiant expressions. Their billboards behind them read The People Have Spoken We Back Giving Kids A Commercial Break

Sep 2025

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Bite Back in Schools 2.0

Our School Food Champions programme rebrands to Bite Back in Schools and goes bigger than ever, expanding to over 100 schools across England AND stepping into Scotland!

A Bite Back staff member sits with a young person taking part in the Bite Back in Schools programme, they are making a suggestion box for the school

OCT 2025

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School Food Success

After six years of campaigning, the Government announces the expansion of free school meals, and a review into School Food Standards. Watch this space in 2026!

MAR 2026

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Stepping into Scotland

Bite Back expanded into Scotland, empowering young people to challenge unhealthy food systems through campaigning, advocacy and a new schools programme. With rising concerns around children’s health, the movement aims to support young Scots to lead change and push for a fairer, healthier food environment. Stay in the loop.

Social Experiment:
The shocking effects of junk food advertising!

Play

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

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