How School Catering Is Changing — And How ORIAN Is Responding
New Thinking Inspired by Recent Catering Industry White Papers
Recent white papers from several major contract caterers forecast a “new era” of expectations around food, wellbeing, technology and sustainability. Much of this thinking comes from the corporate dining world — but schools operate very differently.
At ORIAN Food Services, we’ve analysed these papers through the lens of real-life education catering, added our own operational insight, and drawn a clear conclusion:
Some trends are meaningful. Some are noise. And the real opportunity is in knowing the difference.
As Danny Brown, Head of Food Services at ORIAN, puts it:
“Our responsibility is to stay informed, not distracted. Schools need practical innovation, not PR-led promises. At ORIAN we focus on what genuinely improves safety, experience and outcomes for pupils.”
— Danny Brown, Head of Food Services, ORIAN
Health, Wellbeing and Learning Outcomes — Real Priority or Corporate Tagline?
White papers increasingly position food as a strategic driver of wellbeing and performance. In corporate settings, this means productivity. In schools, the stakes are more human:
Good nutrition supports attention, behaviour, energy and learning.
At ORIAN, we take this seriously — but without slipping into buzzwords. We are:
Framing menus around “fuel for learning,”
Developing performance-focused options for older pupils and sports academies,
Helping schools articulate how food supports behaviour and attendance.
This shift raises important new questions:
How do we measure nutritional impact in meaningful ways?
How far can we innovate before we lose pupil adoption?
How do we stop “wellbeing” becoming a tender cliché?
Digital Transparency: Trust Over Trend
Across the industry, digital menu management is becoming more visible. But in schools, the real driver isn’t novelty — it’s trust.
Parents, schools and local authorities want confidence that meal information is accurate and transparent.
ORIAN is strengthening digital transparency in a way that adds value, not complexity:
Clear allergen icons
Simple nutritional summaries
Accessible digital menus that avoid overwhelm
We’re not rushing into carbon dashboards and hyper-detailed ESG scorecards that add noise without impact.
A critical question for the sector:
How do we use digital tools to reassure — not confuse — families and schools?
Inclusivity in Menus: A Genuine, Long-Term Shift
Halal, plant-forward meals and allergen-safe alternatives appear in every recent white paper — and rightly so.
In schools, this isn’t marketing. It’s lived reality.
Communities are increasingly diverse, and expectations around dietary inclusivity are rising.
ORIAN is responding with:
Halal-compliant menu options
Weekly plant-forward dishes
Clear allergen-safe alternatives
Enhanced training and kitchen support
This is meaningful change. But it also prompts a deeper question:
How inclusive can school catering become within tight budgets and varied pupil preferences?
ORIAN intends to lead that conversation responsibly and honestly.
Sustainability and Carbon Labelling: Progress or Performance?
The sector is full of sustainability claims — but not all are equally valuable.
Let’s be candid:
Carbon labels rarely influence pupil choices,
Functional “mood food” and micro-nutrition lack evidence for children,
ESG reporting is often produced to be seen, not used.
ORIAN’s approach:
Prioritise local sourcing, waste reduction and real carbon reduction,
Avoid resource-heavy sustainability work that schools neither request nor act upon,
Focus on measurable improvements, not virtue signalling.
Sustainability should be practical, not performative.
Dining Experience: The Hidden Driver of Uptake
While the white papers talk about “collaborative dining spaces,” the school reality is simpler:
Dining environment influences behaviour, uptake and flow — massively.
Small enhancements often create big returns:
Faster queues
Hero dish positioning
Grab-and-go improvements
Themed wellbeing weeks
ORIAN is investing in these practical, high-impact adjustments because they matter more than abstract nutritional theory.
Where ORIAN Is Adapting — And Where We’re Not
Where we’re moving decisively:
Health & wellbeing messaging grounded in outcomes
Digital transparency with a compliance-first mindset
Inclusive menu ranges (halal, plant-forward, allergen-safe)
High-protein and performance lines for older students
Dining experience upgrades to increase uptake
Breakfast clubs aligned with attendance and attainment
Where we’re intentionally selective:
Detailed carbon scoring
ESG-heavy reporting frameworks
Functional or “biohacking” nutrition for children
Complex digital ecosystems
Menu overhauls that increase cost without improving adoption
As Danny Brown says:
“Innovation without impact is just noise. ORIAN chooses to innovate where it improves trust, safety or pupil experience — nowhere else.”
Beyond Schools: Growth Sectors the White Papers Don’t Address Enough
The most relevant opportunities aren’t always where the headlines point.
ORIAN sees significant potential in:
Further Education (FE) and sixth forms — aligned with Gen Z expectations
SEN schools requiring personalised nutritional support
Nursery/early years food provision via delivered meals
Regional B&I where health and sustainability narratives genuinely influence buying decisions
Our principle is simple:
Adopt trends where they add value — ignore them where they add noise.
The Big Question: Are We in a Revolution or a Reframing?
Our analysis of sector white papers and on-the-ground reality shows this:
What pupils eat hasn’t changed much — but what buyers expect from caterers has.
Schools still prioritise:
Reliability
Familiar favourites
Cost control
Safe allergen management
What’s changing is the story around food — wellbeing, inclusivity, transparency, sustainability.
In short: Procurement is evolving faster than palates.
ORIAN’s strategy is to bridge the two with clarity, evidence and practicality.
Where ORIAN Leads Next
Our forward path is guided by three key questions:
Which innovations genuinely improve pupil outcomes — not just marketing narratives?
How can digital tools enhance trust without overwhelming schools?
Where can public-sector catering benefit from corporate trends, without inheriting their complexity?
At ORIAN, our commitment is simple:
Real impact. Real integrity. Real innovation — only where it matters.