In July the 'School Food Plan' was published, which provided an independent review of school catering across the UK.

The overall emphasis focused on increasing the quality and take-up of school meals, with the aim of diverting parents' spend from packed lunches back into healthy school food.

It provides a comprehensive look into what changes can be made – not only looking at the menus, but also taking into consideration the service, school curriculum, the impact of lunch boxes and more.

Like the findings in the School Food Plan, I believe that it is not just about healthy food, but about creating a canteen that students want to spend time in, with quick service, good quality food and a range of different meal options.

It is easy to witness the benefit of transforming the entire catering service in order to increase the uptake of school meals. With this in mind, here are my five steps to help your school:

• Create a plan – have a clear goal and vision in your mind of what you want to achieve from a new catering facility. Speak to everyone involved in making the change so that you can set realistic budgets and time scales, and know that what you are proposing is viable in the long term.
  
  

• Look at the whole experience – a good dining facility does not just focus on the food. If the food is great but the environment is dull and uncomfortable then students will go elsewhere. If the food and dining area are fantastic but the customer service is poor, then again, people will refuse to use the school restaurant.
  
  

• Variety is the spice of life– work in partnership with staff, students and parents to create interesting, varied menus that appeal to all budgets, tastes and diets. Remember that ethnicity, religion, girl/boy split and potential allergies all effect what foods are popular in each student population. This will ensure that you are serving food that students want to eat and making them feel a part of and engaged in the service being provided.
  
  

• Keep things flowing smoothly – work to reduce queuing and speed up traffic flow during service periods. If students know they are going to spend their whole break time queuing, they are going to go elsewhere or opt for a packed lunch. Consider the option of cashless and biometric systems as you move forward. Once explained to parents, both are appealing as they avoid children having to carry cash into school.
  
  

• Don’t forget training and communications – ensure there is a two-way communication with school management and all the stakeholders at the school or college. Inviting parents to the school to try the food on the menu can dispel any fears they have about ‘school dinners’.
  
  

Having everyone on board from the beginning will ensure a smooth launch for your modernised catering facility and one that will be fully supported.