School Food Trust Chief Executive Judy Hargadon writes about how school meals can challenge packed lunch promotions for the new term.
“As retailers begin their annual packed lunch price cut on unhealthy products aimed at children, the gloves should be off for school caterers – with some special offers of their own.
“With multi-packs of crisps, cheese-based snacks and mini chocolate bars moved front and centre at stores across the country, there are a range of tactics that caterers can use to encourage children and parents to pack away the lunch box and try school food instead.
“I’ve seen a number of articles in retail press recently highlighting the aggressive way in which packed lunch competitors are stepping up for action at the start of term.
“In one, I read that ‘September is the chance to capture new kids into a lunchbox habit…’, whilst another quote suggested that lunchboxes should offer fruit, ‘…but also crisps and confectionary to give a balanced choice.’ This is outrageous – these sorts of empty calories have no place in children’s daily diet, and schools ditched them long ago. The onus is on schools to make sure parents know that school food is the easier, tastier and more nutritious option for their children this year.
“After all, school meals make sense for busy families. We estimate that parents could spend the equivalent of eight days in the kitchen this year – if they want to pack lunches with the same nutritional clout as a good school meal.
“Here are some ideas to try:
- Parent taster sessions can work well for reception year and Year 7. Invite families into school to eat with their children in the first few weeks. You get to show off the quality of your food and families can put their minds at rest that their children are choosing from a decent menu
- Offer a one-off evening service – a chance for families to have their tea in the school dining room together
- Make sure parents know about your menus – send copies home early in the term, put them on the school website or use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to give daily updates about what’s on the servery today
- Don’t forget your teachers – they can promote school meals when they’re talking to parents of new pupils. Offer them the chance to try any new dishes you’re adding to the menu this year
- Think about your menu for the first weeks, and try to include some of your biggest-sellers. Give your suppliers the chance to promote products with free tasters
- Offer free meals for the first day or week, or perhaps try ‘buy 4, get Friday free’
- Reduce the price of school meals for a fixed period – many schools have tried ‘“All Meals for £1(All Meals for £1)”:http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/news-events/news/school-meal-numbers-up-75-during-price-promotion’, with great success
- Theme days are always a winner – you’ll find inspiration and free materials to download from our Marketing and Design Generator (MADGe) website
- Loyalty rewards schemes often go down well – children collect points for each school meal they buy, then can enter a prize draw. You’ll find sample loyalty cards to download on MADGe
- Use your school newsletter – write an article about any special offers you’ll be running in the first half term and remind families to claim free school meals if they qualify
- Create a ‘top table’ – where pupils who’ve behaved well or delivered good work can sit, choose their own menu and invite a select few friends to join them
- Create a school food group early in the term – representatives from each school year who can give you feedback and new ideas.”
