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Plant forward, which emphasises but does not strictly limit food to plant-based options, is growing in popularity across the world. Brakes has launched a set of resources, including a new section on its website to help caterers understand and capitalise on the use of plant-based foods.

Lisa Johnson, sector marketing manager for education at Brakes, said: “A plant forward approach is a virtuous circle providing a sustainable, healthy and cost effective way of catering. There is a lot of pressure on food operations to keep costs down and plant forward is a great way of doing that, as it can cut down on the need for expensive centre of plate protein options. 

“Simply removing meat from menus is challenging, both in ensuring that you can meet nutritional standards, but also because the food is unfamiliar and therefore not always welcomed by students. By creating a hybrid with our plant forward solution, we are able to help address cost, nutrition and hungry students.” 

Brakes is also highlighting its support for Menus of Change, which started in America and establishes the principles of plant forward catering. The initiative is increasingly being seen in UK universities, where it aids the optimisation of nutrition, health and sustainability across menus.

The Menus of Change principles were developed as a joint initiative of The Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For more information, visit: https://www.menusofchange.org/about-moc.