Through the Children’s Food Campaign, Sustain aims to ensure that every child grows up with access to healthy and nutritious food. With children spending around 190 days a year in school, the central importance of school meals for children’s access to food, as well as their numerous health and social benefits, is well established.
However, with a shifting policy landscape around UK food and farming, the School Food Standards under review, and a continued governmental focus on economic growth, Sustain recognised an opportunity to highlight the wider socio-economic returns that expanding free school meal provision could deliver for the UK food sector.
Bremner & Co were commissioned by Sustain, with support from the Ampney Brook Foundation, to generate new economic insights that would quantify and strengthen the case for expanding school meals; supporting engagement with and between government departments and stakeholders across the food and farming system.
Our Approach
To examine the economic impact of expanding free school meals, we began with a literature review and analysis of government and supply-chain datasets to establish a clear evidence baseline. This included assessing the types and quantities of ingredients used in school meals each year, the proportion sourced from within the UK, and the cost of UK-grown products at scale.
We then explored value chains for four specific ingredients: carrots, potatoes, broccoli and beef. These were selected for being well-suited to production in the UK, representative of a typical school plate, and popular with children.
Our analysis considered three school meal expansion scenarios: extending free school meals to all pupils eligible for Universal Credit, introducing universal provision for all primary pupils, and expanding universal provision to all primary and secondary pupils. Considering this range of scenarios enabled our analysis to consider near-term potential as well as how further expansion could scale the opportunity for UK food and farming.
To ensure our findings were grounded in the realities of those involved in the supply chain, our analysis was informed by interviews with more than 30 stakeholders across the school food system, including producers, caterers, suppliers, policymakers, campaigners, academics and local authorities. To illustrate and bring this data to life, we developed short case studies showing how increased school meal uptake could benefit UK producers. This, alongside ongoing input from our Project Advisory Group, ensured the analysis was grounded in sector realities and supported by expert insight.
Key Outcomes
Our final report filled a key evidence gap, providing Sustain with new insights linking school meal expansion to opportunities for UK food and farming. By untangling complex datasets and integrating insights from more than 30 stakeholders, we delivered a clear picture of how increased school meal uptake could strengthen domestic supply chains and create value for British producers.
Critically, the research bridged food and farming supply chains with free school meals campaigning – a connection not explored extensively beyond localised case studies. This approach demonstrated broad stakeholder interest across agriculture, education and public health, establishing a robust evidence base that connected previously unconnected policy debates.
During the research process, the Government’s announcement of free school meal expansion to all children from households on Universal Credit demanded a shift in our approach, with our final policy recommendations reframed as fundamental conditions for success. Our modelling quantified these opportunities and arrived at a pivotal moment for food and farming policy, ensuring the findings could be used immediately in national advocacy. Together with Sustain, we used the report as a springboard for a second phase of campaigning and engagement with government departments, industry bodies and the media. The evidence has since informed policy conversations on procurement standards, domestic sourcing and school food investment, strengthening the case for expanding access to healthy school meals across England.
We wanted to understand how additional economic benefits that could be secured if expansion of school meals were coupled with increased sourcing from British farming. Myles and Rosie brilliantly took an initial ‘Follow the Carrot’ idea and turned it into a tangible piece of research, working to an ambitious timeline. Throughout the research process, from recruiting and managing an expert advisory group, identifying and analysing available data sets, and interviewing a wide range of stakeholders, Bremner & Co were extremely well organised, thoughtful and collaborative, resulting in an excellent report that landed extremely well with policymakers.
Barbara Crowther, Manager of Sustain’s Children’s Food Campaign
Follow The Carrot was shaped by the insight and participation of stakeholders across school food and farming systems. Their contributions strengthened the research and demonstrated clear, shared interest in connecting food and farming policy with free school meals. Bringing these perspectives together made it possible to surface both the opportunities and the tensions within the system, and to ground the analysis in real world conditions. The result is a report that reflects the priorities of those working across the system and builds a stronger case for aligning food, farming and school meals policy.
Myles Bremner, CEO, Bremner & Co
Our Services
This project demonstrates Bremner & Co’s ability to bring together diverse voices from across the food system and translate that insight into robust, policy relevant evidence. We worked with stakeholders spanning school food, farming, supply chains and advocacy to ensure the analysis reflected real world conditions and carried credibility across the sector.
Alongside this, we gathered and interpreted complex data, untangling large datasets, modelling multiple scenarios and integrating qualitative insight to produce clear, usable findings. This enabled clients to strengthen their advocacy positions and engage decision makers with confidence.
It also reflects our ability to operate in fast moving policy contexts. Working across food systems, public policy and supply chains, we adapted our analysis in real time following the free school meal Universal Credit expansion announcement. This ensured the evidence remained credible to policymakers while practical and actionable for campaigners, industry stakeholders and advocacy organisations.
Whether you need to untangle complex data or build a compelling case for change, we’re here to help. Contact us to explore how we can support your next project.
Read the Follow the Carrot report here.
