School meals, accredited and ethically sourced.
NEW - Reaccreditation Silver School Plates Award Success for our Summer menu 2026
Following on from our first accreditation success in the Autumn of 2025, we are excited to say we have been reaccredited for our Summer 2026 menu. With only a limited number of school caterers achieving this standard, we are very proud our practices have been rewarded.
ProVeg UK’s flagship programme, School Plates, helps schools to serve healthy, climate-friendly meals by increasing the quality, quantity, and uptake of plant-based food as well as promoting more plants and less meat on menus. They are the only organisation dedicated to doing this in the UK.
"ProVeg UK is thrilled to support City Catering Southampton and its schools. We know that school meals are a fantastic opportunity to foster healthy habits and nourish a positive relationship with food, all while contributing to a more sustainable future. These menu improvements align with research from leading organisations, such as the World Health Organisation, the World Resources Institute, the National Food Strategy, and the Climate Change Committee, emphasising the importance of a plant-forward approach for both human and planetary health."
The School Food Plan was devised in 2013, and sets out a range of guidelines with which schools should meet to ensure that children have a healthy, balanced menu, with variety and enjoyment. It is what sets out the basis for our school menu planning, and something we feel is crucial to adhere too for the benefit of nurturing healthy eating habits in school children.
The School Food Plan
It means that all meat served in our schools can be traced back to the farm it came from, and meets or exceeds UK animal welfare standards. All eggs are free range. All ingredients used in meals are free from additives, artificial trans fats and will never be genetically modified. And at least 75% of the food we serve is freshly prepared on site or in a local kitchen. Food For Life accreditation also means our menus are inclusive of cultural needs and dietary requirements, so every student’s wishes are catered for.
Food For Life Serve Here - Bronze
All of our school kitchens were routinely reinspected in 2020, and received a 5 start food hygiene rating, reflecting that their ‘‘hygiene standards are very good’ providing reassurance to schools, families and children alike.
5 Star Food Standards Agency Rating
We are proud members of the Lead Association for Catering in Education -The School Food People.
This membership body represents the school food industry, and we actively work with a variety of their partners to help maintain the highest possible standards for our member school catering provision.
