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At present 2.1 million children are eligible for free school meals in England and another 1.3 million enjoy universal infant free school meals. According to research free school meals boost children’s health, academic performance and equip them to thrive.

The research aims to uncover an additional layer of value by examining how increased demand for fresh, locally sourced produce could create opportunities for UK farmers, growers and food producers.

A spokesperson for Bremner & Co, said: “The recent Cost of a School Meal Report found that £1.11 out of every school meal is spent on food. School food procurement already represents a significant market opportunity, worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the UK food and farming economy.

“With the right approach, this spending could further support a stronger domestic food system. By quantifying the economic impact of expanding school meal provision on the food and farming sector, we hope to highlight the interconnected benefits of investing in universal free school meals—not just for children but for the nation's food system as a whole.”

The objectives include:

• Exploring the broader benefits of school meals: Examining the economic growth opportunity for the UK food and farming sector that lies in increased access to free school meals.
• Providing new perspectives for policy discussions: The research seeks to offer fresh insights that may help inform broader conversations on the benefits of school food for varied stakeholders, as well as children.
• Strengthening collaborative efforts: By connecting with diverse stakeholders across schools, agriculture, production and catering, Bremner & Co hope to build a broader coalition in support of universal free school meals.

This project has the working title ‘Follow the Carrot’. The findings will be published in late Spring 2025.