Sodexo launches ‘Five Foodie Days’ menu in primary schools

Hospitality company Sodexo has expanded its modern school food brand, Food & Co. by Sodexo, to state primary schools with the launch of a ‘Five Foodie Days’.

‘Five Foodie Days’ is specifically designed for primary school children and aims to offer a “modern, fresh approach” to school food. All 66 primary schools where Sodexo provides catering are being transferred onto the new menu.

Sodexo conducted research among pupils in key stage 2-4 across the UK to find out about the food they want to eat as well as why, when and how they wanted to eat it. Its results found that pupils wanted to eat “high street style food” while having a “high street” and “grown up” experience. They said they wanted to try to new food from different countries and cultures and customise their meals.

Five Foodie Days is designed to reflect the research outcomes with each day following a different theme: planet earth, street food, world food, originals and Friday favourites. Dishes on the new menu reflect high street trends and favourites which link to the five foodie themes.

In a move away from the traditional school dining experience and to offer KS2 pupils a ‘high street’ experience, food will be served in a box twice per week. Sodexo currently works with nearly 200 schools in the state and independent sectors across the UK and Ireland.

Matt Garner, managing director for Schools, Sodexo said: “We wanted to do things differently. Feedback from head teachers, parents and pupils highlighted the need for us to be more innovative and look to provide more cosmopolitan meal choices at an affordable price whilst continuing to meet the government school food standards. It was a big ask, but we believe that our Five Foodie Days does all of this and more.

“We’ve co-produced Food & Co. by Sodexo with pupils to ensure it meets the needs and expectations of today’s generation. The look and feel of our brand, and more importantly the dishes featured on our Five Foodie Days menu, have been truly pupil-led and have turned traditional school dinners on their head.”