Who topped the league table in 2021?
Last year’s Out To Lunch campaign was focused on dishing up the truth about children’s food in 20 of the UK’s most popular chain restaurants. Our secret diners rated JD Wetherspoon as the best restaurant overall, with Wahaca, Zizzi and Wagamama close behind. Pizza Hut took the unenviable bottom slot of the league table, with McDonald's and Hungry Horse narrowly avoiding the spot.
Are you surprised by the results? Ultimately, last year’s secret diner families felt that children’s food just isn’t good enough, and were disappointed to find menus with sugar-loaded puddings and lower welfare imported meat.
#OTL2022 is underway!
Thanks so much to everyone who registered to take part in Out To Lunch 2022.
We're in the process of getting in touch with the successful applicants, who'll visit their assigned venues over the summer to rate what's being dished up.
We'll be sharing their insights and our recommendations later this year, so keep your eyes peeled for updates!
What should last year’s restaurants do next?
We were pleased to see that in the lead up to COP26 last year, ten of the biggest restaurant chains in the UK committed to ensuring all soya used as animal feed in the supply chain is certified sustainable by 2023.
With just 3 out of 20 of the restaurants we surveyed serving 100% British meat, we would like to see British chains better supporting British farmers by buying meat produced on these shores.
Out To Lunch - our progress so far
Since we started the Out to Lunch campaign in 2013, we’ve seen huge progress made by restaurant chains. Restaurants now have fairly good sustainability policies in place and, through being part of the campaign, are committed to continuous improvement to make their menus for children more nutritious and sustainable. Changes we’ve seen so far include:
- More vegetables now feature on kids’ menus: millions more portions of veg are being served because of the combined impact of the OTL 2019/21 campaigns
- There has been a huge increase in vegetarian and vegan options: reflecting the customer demand for diets containing less meat
- Ten out of twenty restaurants have signed the ‘Stop Deforestation Pledge’, with a goal to make their supply chains better for the planet
- Several restaurants are actively looking at ways to address the sugar levels currently found in kids’ desserts.
Will you help us to change the menu?
As a charity, we rely on the passion and support of people like you.
We work with farmers, retailers, caterers and government to change the way we farm and eat.
Give a regular donation, and say ‘yes’ to a food and farming future that supports public health.
That's not all we're doing to improve children's food
Out to Lunch is part of our wider mission to transform the way we eat. Our Food for Life programme works with schools, early years, care homes and hospitals to make good food the easy choice for everyone. Find out how you can get involved and join our good food revolution.
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