Young people exposed a ‘battle of the brands’ in local leisure centres. Now change is coming.
22 Jun 2026
Young people in Cheshire West and Chester spotted something strange.
Places designed to support wellbeing and health were packed with unhealthy food and drink.
So they decided to investigate.
What they found was hard to ignore.
After auditing vending machines and food outlets across local leisure centres and NHS sites, young campaigners discovered that almost nine in ten products on sale were unhealthy.
Their findings have now led to real commitments from local leaders to create healthier food environments for young people.
A battle of the brands.
Working with Cheshire West and Chester Council, Brio leisure and local NHS partners through our/the Shape Your Streets Project, Bite Back activists spent two days gathering evidence.
They visited leisure centres.
They audited vending machines.
They documented what young people see everyday.
The result?
A new report called The Vending Machines Are Like a Battle of the Brands.
Young people also raised concerns about pricing, product placement and marketing tactics that made less healthy options the easiest options to grab.
Taking their findings straight to decision-makers
Armed with evidence, 3 Bite Back campaigners presented their findings directly to councillors, public health leaders, NHS representatives and leisure providers. Sixteen decision makers attended, including the Leader of the Council.
Bite Back activists didn’t just highlight the problem.
We brought solutions too. And people listened.
The Win
Following the presentation, local partners committed to a number of practical changes.
These include:
- Removing a slushy machine from a local leisure centre.
- Increasing promotion of healthier food and drink options.
- Reviewing vending machines practices.
- Removing upselling prompts for unhealthy products.
