Leading school food NGO ProVeg UK has launched its official accreditation scheme today, setting the standards for low-carbon menus across UK schools. The ProVeg School Plates Awards are designed to recognise the positive steps taken by school caterers to create healthier and more sustainable menus.

Any UK school caterer can enter the awards free of charge simply by submitting their menus to ProVeg UK for review. Menus will be scored against a checklist of evidence-based actions around meat reduction and the promotion of plant-based food. For each action completed, schools will receive points to help secure a Bronze, Silver or Gold award, recognising their efforts in promoting healthy and climate-friendly food. 

Jimmy Pierson, Director of ProVeg UK, said: “We’re delighted to officially launch the ProVeg School Plates Awards to recognise and encourage the wonderful work school caterers are doing to create healthier and more sustainable menus across the country.

“We know we need to eat less meat and dairy for the future of this planet that our children will inherit from us. We’re also in a childhood obesity crisis with children not eating nearly enough fibre, which is found only in plant-based foods. So we want to celebrate the pioneering school caterers that are addressing these two crises through better school food. It’s about time they received national recognition!”

At the end of each year, ProVeg UK will also announce two Annual School Plates Champions (one subject to national nutrition standards or guidelines, and one outside of any guidelines). These will be the school caterers scoring the most points overall. 

ProVeg UK is currently working with 40 major catering partners across the UK through its School Plates programme. Since the programme launched in 2018, the NGO has helped to turn over 8 million school dinners meat-free or plant-based, helping schools to reduce food-related emissions and develop tasty, nutritious menus. 

To learn more about the ProVeg School Plates Awards and view the full checklist of actions, visit ProVeg UK’s website, or if you are a school caterer and would like to submit your menu for review, send it to [email protected].