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About Us

Food for life is about changing food for good.

Good food should be a right not a privilege. It boosts the health of us as individuals but also the health of our society, the diversity of plants and animals we depend upon and the soil that makes this all possible. Good food means climate and nature recovery. 

With an overarching goal to make good food accessible for all, we work directly with caterers, schools, and communities to implement sustainable and lasting change within the broken food system.

We do this through the standards we set, by enabling valuable connections and sharing best practice across the sectors we work within.  

As part of the Soil Association, we use our experience to support governments and local authorities to work across the supply chain with farmers and businesses developing practical solutions.  We collaborate with the public to create and amplify a powerful voice, challenging the status quo for better food for all.  

  1. 2003

    1. Food For Life Report Published

      A collaboration between Soil Association, school cook Jeanette Orrey, and Organix founder Lizzie Vann, the report documented a pilot approach to better school food in six schools. The report exposed the underinvestment and poor standard of food in schools across the UK.

      The late Peter Melchett, Patrick Holden, Jeanette Orrey attend many meetings including with the Education Minister, visiting Downing Street when the report was released with blanket coverage across UK news publications and sites.

      Food For Life Report 2003

      Apr 01, 2003

  2. 2004

    1. Jamie Oliver

      Jamie Oliver visits St Peter’s Primary East Bridgford to meet Jeanette and the school as part of his documentary on school dinners.
      Jan 01, 2004

  3. 2005

    1. Feed Me Better

      Jamie Oliver’s high-profile documentary on school meals was screened on Channel 4 - where he worked alongside and was inspired by Jeanette Orrey and her research into the standards of school dinners.

      This led to the ‘Feed me Better’ campaign supported by the Soil Association and a petition handed to Downing Street in March 2005.
      Feb 01, 2005

    2. School Meals Review panel

      The UK Government convened a School Meals Review panel, which included Soil Association then Policy Director, Peter Melchett.

      The panel echoed the Food for Life report’s call for more comprehensive school food standards.
      Jun 01, 2005

    3. School Food Trust

      The School Food Trust was set up with Jeanette Orrey becoming a board member.
      Aug 01, 2005

  4. 2006

    1. Setting the Standard

      Soil Association publishes a new report which highlighted the programme’s role in bringing school food onto the political agenda ‘Setting the standard: How Food for Life, a Soil Association pilot project, set the standard for school meals and food education’

      Setting the Standard

      Aug 03, 2006

  5. 2007

    1. Big Lottery Funding

      Big Lottery funding of £16.8 million established the Food for Life Partnership, with Soil Association as the lead partners alongside Garden Organic, Focus on Food, and Health Education Trust.

      Big Lottery Funding

      Aug 01, 2007

  6. 2008

    1. Georgie Porgie Pudding and PIe

      Soil Association publishes Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie: Exposing the truth about nursery food, the first detailed investigation into the food fed to young children in nurseries in England and Wales.

      Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie Report

      Apr 01, 2008

    2. Food For Life Scotland

      Food for Life begins operating in Scotland. Pam Rodway visited many schools within Scotland and East Ayrshire Council gains the Food for Life Served Here Gold Award, becoming the first local authority area to achieve the Gold Award.

      The East Ayrshire Schools Story

      Aug 01, 2008

  7. 2009

    1. Transforming Food Culture

      Soil Association publishes Six Steps to Transforming Food Culture: How a school food culture revolution can beat obesity and climate change and Double Dividend: Promoting good nutrition and sustainable consumption through healthy school meals

      Six Steps to Transforming Food Culture

      Aug 01, 2009

      Catering Mark

      The Catering Mark (becoming Food for Life Served Here in 2017), was created delivering menus with more fresh ingredients, fewer processed foods, prioritising higher animal welfare, promoting local and seasonal produce.

      Food for Life Served Here

      Aug 02, 2009

      Sustainable Food Cities

      Funding is received from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to start Sustainable Food Cities (now Sustainable Food Places).

      Growing from conversation that took place between directors of Soil Association, Sustain and Food Matters came the question ‘What does sustainable food look like in a place rather than a setting?

      Sustainable Food Places Website

      Aug 05, 2009

  8. 2010

    1. UWE and Cardiff Evaluation

      Food for Life Partnership was evaluated by UWE and Cardiff University. The research reported multiple beneficial outcomes from participation in FFL, including increased uptake of school meals.

      UWE and Cardiff Evaluation Report

      Aug 01, 2010

      Power of Partnerships Video

      Watch on YouTube

      Aug 01, 2010

  9. 2012

    1. School Food Plan

      An independent review into school food in England (the ‘School Food Plan’) is commissioned by Education Minister Michael Gove; Soil Association / Food for Life is invited to join the expert advisory panel.
      Aug 01, 2012

      Food for Life Local Authority

      The first Food for Life Local Authority-funded commission was won, in Lincolnshire.
      Aug 02, 2012

      Good Food for All

      Soil Association publishes Good Food for All (2012): A summary report of the evaluation of the first five years of the Food for Life Partnership (2007 - 2011)

      Good Food for All Report

      Aug 03, 2012

  10. 2013

    1. School Food Plan England

      The School Food Plan is published (focusing on England).

      With 18 actions calling for nutrient-based school food standards to be updated to food-based standards, universal free school meals, and all schools to adopt a ‘whole school approach’, learning from the precedent established by Food for Life’s School Award.

      The government accepts the plan’s recommendation that practical cooking/food education should be part of the National Curriculum for all children up to the age of 14.

      Food for Life was appointed a key delivery partner for the School Food Plan, in particular as lead partner on the Department for Education funded ‘Increase Your School Meal Take-up’ programme.

      Whole Setting Approach

      Aug 01, 2013

      RSPH Joins

      The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) joins the Food for Life Partnership, as its fifth partner.

      RSPH Website

      Aug 02, 2013

      Early Years Award

      Early Years award is established after development funding from the Organix Foundation and the National Lottery.

      Early Years Project in Nottingham

      Aug 04, 2013

  11. 2014

    1. Free School Meals

      Universal Free School Meals are introduced for all infant children in England.

      This was implemented after the recommendation from the expert panel for the School Food Plan, which included Soil Association.
      Aug 01, 2014

  12. 2015

    1. School Food Standards

      Revised food-based school food standards are put into law in England following the recommendations in the School Food Plan.
      Aug 01, 2015

      Healthy and Sustainable Diets

      The National Lottery funding for the Food for Life Partnership ended, and the Soil Association formally took on Food for Life programme under its ‘’Healthy and Sustainable Diets” pillar.
      Aug 02, 2015

      Award Frameworks

      The Food for Life Schools and Early Years Awards frameworks become available to any school or early years setting beyond a commissioned Local Authority area, across the UK.
      Aug 03, 2015

    2. Better Care Programme

      Better Care programme - Food for Life received a £1.25 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund to launch a pioneering project using good food to reduce isolation and improve the nutrition and wellbeing of older people.
      Aug 05, 2015

      Sustainable Food Places

      Sustainable Food Places - Esmée Fairbairn Foundation funding granted for next phase with £3 million awarded for growing the programme to 50 local authority areas across the UK and building a reputation for the impactful work locally and advocacy nationally.
      Aug 06, 2015

      Free School Meals Scotland

      Scottish Government offers free school meals to all Primary 1–3 pupils
      Aug 07, 2015

  13. 2016

    1. Green Kitchen Standard

      Green Kitchen standard developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust and pilot sites start working on the standards

      Learn about Green Kitchen Standard (GKS)

      Aug 01, 2016

    2. Obesity Strategy

      The Government’s Obesity Strategy commits to updating the School Food Standards in England.
      Food for Life joins the expert advisory panel, and advocates for less meat/more plant proteins to be part of the update, informed by the caterers Food for Life works with, demonstrating that less and better meat is possible and desirable.

      Obesity Strategy

      Aug 04, 2016

  14. 2017

    1. First Green Kitchen Standard Awarded

      First Green Kitchen Standards awards achieved

      Learn more

      Aug 01, 2017

  15. 2018

    1. Good Food Nation

      Food for Life Scotland included in Scottish Government’s Good Food Nation Programme of Measures.
      Aug 01, 2018

      100,000,000 Meals

      Food for Life Scotland celebrates the one hundred millionth Food for Life school meal served in Scotland.

      Celebrating Success

      Aug 02, 2018

  16. 2019

    1. Get Togethers

      Food for Life Get Togethers funding £5.1 million funding from National Lottery to use the power of good food to connect people of all ages through growing, cooking and eating together.

      Joining forces with six partners across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to work with diverse communities across the UK.

      Celebrating Get Togethers

      Aug 01, 2019

      State of the Nation

      State of the Nation report - our commissioned report unearthed some shocking findings whilst identifying solutions to the nation’s bad diet.

      State of the Nation - Report

      Aug 02, 2019

      Sustainable Food Places

      Sustainable Food Places: National Lottery Community fund joined Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to fund £5 million for Phase 3 of SFP. Membership grew to 94 local authority areas and expanded strongly into counties, as well as throughout the devolved nations Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

      Sustainable Food Places

      Aug 03, 2019

      100,000 Meals a Day

      Food for Life Scotland celebrates a major milestone: 100,000 school meals served in Scotland every day

      Learn more about this story

      Aug 05, 2019

  17. 2021

    1. National Food Strategy

      National Food Strategy released (England) – the independent review of the food system in England is published, calling for government action on school meals.
      The National Food Strategy recommended that all schools should adopt a ‘whole school approach’, citing Food for Life’s evidence of increased veg consumption, and that a national catering accreditation scheme, informed by Food for Life Served Here, should be introduced.

      National Food Strategy

      Aug 01, 2021

      Jeanette Orrey MBE

      Co-founder Jeanette Orrey MBE steps back from Food for Life after 30 years of advocating for healthy food for children and to eradicate food poverty.
      Aug 04, 2021

  18. 2022

    1. Out To Lunch

      Soil Association's campaign highlighting areas for improvements for children’s food within the leisure and entertainment is sectors. Significant impacts were made, with 10 high street chains committing to making menu changes. In total the campaign saw 19 million more portions of fruit and veg served as part of children’s meals across the UK.

      Out to Lunch

      Aug 01, 2022

      Ambassadors

      Food for Life Scotland names 22 Ambassadors to push forward the ‘good food’ movement
      Aug 02, 2022

      Free School Meals

      Food for Life join forces with other organisations campaigning for Free School Meals across various campaigns.
      Aug 01, 2022

  19. 2023

    1. BaxterStorey

      Hospitality provider BaxterStorey gains Food for Life Served Here Bronze award for Scottish Government workplaces and Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow. These were the first public sector sites to gain the award as part of the Food for Life Scotland Public Sector Expansion Pilot
      Aug 01, 2023

    2. Foundation Award

      The launch of the Foundation Award for Schools and Early Years & Food for Life Served Here Standards Review – a refresh of two of our flagship Food for Life awards in order to provide greater accessibility to all settings in an ever changing and increasingly challenging environment.
      Aug 01, 2023

  20. 2024

    1. Present

      For 20 years we have been at the forefront of the conversation to put good food on the plate for people across the UK. Our mission is the same as it was for Jeanette Orrey and the early pioneers of making school food healthier for everyone and the planet. We have expanded to reach new heights, but with the same focus, drive and ambition to innovate solutions for the world to take on to help climate, nature and health.

      Read More about our current Food for Life mission

      Aug 18, 2024

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