Out to Lunch restaurant league table 2024

• Compared to 2021: +1

• Food you can trust: 3/5

• Healthy choices: 3/5

• Family-friendly: 4/5

Wahaca got top marks for:

• being the most family friendly restaurant

• all kids’ meals come with 2 portions of veg. Parents were impressed with the variety of vegetables available, making the meals colourful and appealing

• all meat and eggs on the menu are free range and fish is sustainably sourced

• parents liked the kids’ activity sheets which prompted discussion about diets around the world

• a variety of protein is offered, including some plant-based protein from whole foods (for example, black beans)

The areas where they could do better include:

• having more dietary information on menus, for example, 5-a-day or sugar, fat and salt

• serving meals with healthier baked alternative to the standard deep-fried tortilla chips

• having a stronger antibiotics policy restricting highest-priority critically important antibiotics

Parents feedback included that "the variety and flavour of food was great. The taco meal came with 5 vegetables."

• Compared to 2021: -1
• Food you can trust: 2.5/5
• Healthy choices: 4/5
• Family-friendly: 3/5

JD Wetherspoon got top marks for:

• coming out on top in the healthy choice category. All kids’ meals come with 2 portions of veg, and clear 5-a-day, salt, and sugar information
• all meat is farm assured, guaranteeing traceability.
• all eggs are RSPCA free range
• being one of the few chains displaying country of origin information for some meat items on the menu
• kids’ activities are themed around health and sustainability
• having a policy in place to restrict highest-priority critically important antibiotics

The areas where they could do better include:

• the use of Strawberry Bear Yoyo fruit snacks, which are processed, being included in the fruit options alongside apples and bananas
• most of the protein on the kids’ menu (bacon, Bolognese, chicken, vegan sausages) are bought in already made

Parents feedback included that: "[there is a ] good variety of children’s meal options and portion sizes to suit different age ranges and appetites."

• Compared to 2021 league table: +2
• Food you can trust: 2/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 2.5/5

Harvester got top marks for:

• parents liked the different portion sizes and the range of vegetable sides and menu options
• unlimited salad and 2 portions of veg with every kids’ meal, as well as fresh fruit being available. With more than half of the fruit and vegetables coming from the UK
• 5-a-day information makes it easy to pick meal options with more fruit and vegetables
• a variety of non-meat options are available – making up over half of the children’s menu
• they offer organic drinks and lollies on the menu

The areas where they could do better include:

• they don’t track whether unsustainable soya is used in their supply chain (for example, for animal feed)
• half the puddings exceed the NHS-recommended daily sugar intake for children aged 7 to 10

Parents feedback included that: "quite a variety and not just your usual burger and chips. Unlimited salad was a bonus. At least 1 portion of veg with every main meal."

• Compared to 2021 league table: +2
• Food you can trust: 3.5/5
• Healthy choices: 2/5
• Family-friendly: 2/5

Nando's got top marks for: 

• sourcing and sustainability – all chicken is from the UK and farm assured
• 90% of the soy in Nando’s supply chain is bought from UK Soy Manifesto signatories - this means it is deforestation and conversion free
• signing up to the WRAP Food Waste Reduction Roadmap which means they commit to cutting food waste by half by 2030
• all chicken on the menu (plus some of the sides) is fresh and cooked on site.

The areas where they could do better include:

• only their chicken meets Red Tractor welfare standards - higher welfare accreditation would ensure the animals have a better and healthier life
• the vanilla ice cream, high in sugar, is available as a bottomless option
• there could be more meat-free protein options to suit more diet choices

Parents feedback included that: "sides were a good choice of veggies."

• Compared to 2019 league table: +7
• Food you can trust: 2/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 3/5

Frankie & Benny’s got top marks for:

• all meals are served with a veggie pot of cherry tomato, cucumber and pepper sticks. Vegetables are included in lots of different meal options
• they serve oily fish, a source of essential vitamins and minerals
• good choice of meal sizes

The areas where they could do better include:

• the Small Eaters menu has deep fried and processed meat options, like nuggets and fish fingers - it would be great to see less processed food on the menu
• most of the meat is not farm assured or welfare accredited

Parents feedback included that: "[there is a ] good variety and you could choose different options within each dish."

• Compared to 2021 league table: -2
• Food you can trust: 2/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 3/5

Wagamama's got top marks for:

• a variety of healthy options and meals come with 2 portions of vegetables and all options are balanced as standard, with protein, vegetables and a starchy food
• over half of Wagamama's menu is vegetarian or vegan, and meals can easily be made gluten-free
• all drinks have no added sugar or sweeteners – with options like freshly squeezed apple and orange juice

The areas where they could do better include:

• they are signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, but they should switch to welfare accredited meat and have a stronger policy to restrict antibiotic use
• many of the menu options are deep fried – it would be good to see some alternatives.
• parents might be surprised to learn that some children's meals include MSG

Parents feedback included that: "plenty of meat and veggie options."

• Compared to 2019 league table: -4
• Food you can trust: 1/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 3/5

Zizzi's got top marks for:

• no deep fried food on the children’s menu
• offering a good variety of vegetables
• having at least one healthy option for every course
• having plant-based protein options made from whole foods, for example, their lentil ragu

The areas where they could do better include:

• having more than half of the meat bought in, already made - most meat isn't farm assured or welfare accredited.

Parents feedback included that: "good range of options on kids menu, were helpful with allergies"

• Compared to 2021 league table: New
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 2.5/5
• Family-friendly: 2.5/5

Carluccio's got top marks for:

• a variety of meat-free options on the menu and 2 portions of vegetables or salad with some meals
• more than half of their fruit and vegetables comes from the UK - a lot of it is LEAF certified, which supports more sustainable farming practices

The areas where they could do better include:

• offering more balanced meals, ideally with 2 portions of veg or salad, and a portion of protein from whole foods
• ensuring there is 5-a-day information on the menu to help families make informed choices
• having a policy to minimise plate waste

Parents feedback included that: "[there is a ] very good range of options, including a healthy dessert."

• Compared to 2021 league table: New
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 1.5/5

Toby Carvery got top marks for:

• vegetables or salad with every meal, fresh fruit is available, and no meals have chips or deep-fried ingredients with them
• a good variety of protein is available; most of it is prepared from fresh ingredients in the restaurant
• all drinks having no added sugar
• 5-a-day information on menus
• unlimited vegetables and potatoes available from the carvery deck

The areas where they could do better include:

• not having meat that isn’t high welfare (for example, freedom food, free range, organic), despite being such a prominent part of the menu
• not having a stronger policy to restrict antibiotic use
• not collecting information on whether the soy in their supply chain is 100% deforestation-free
• having most of their puddings above the NHS recommended sugar intake for 4 to 6 year olds (19g per day) - 1of the pudding options is more than 3 times over the guidelines with 58.5g sugar.

Parents feedback included that: "It’s self service for all the veggie sides"

• Compared to 2021 league table: +3
• Food you can trust: 2/5
• Healthy choices: 2.5/5
• Family-friendly: 2/5

Leon got top marks for:

• having all their meat farm assured, only using free range eggs and their milk and oats are organic
• the menu being 50% vegetarian and containing plant-based protein from healthy whole foods, such as beans
• having a policy on using antibiotics responsibly within their supply chain
• using spinach, cherry tomatoes and peas for their kids’ menu – when in season, these are purchased from the UK

The areas where they could do better include:

• only currently offering a limited menu - half the options contain fried foods like chips and nuggets
• our secret diners reported lots of single use packaging being used.

Parents feedback included that: "children were happy enough with their meals, but there were only 4 options (2 chicken and 2 vegetarian)."

• Compared to 2021 league table: +8
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 3/5

Hungry Horse got top marks for:

• their kids’ menu having lots of choice, with a portion of vegetables served with every meal
• more than half the menu is meat-free
• being signatories of WRAP Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and working to reduce their waste.
• having lots of useful information on the menu, including where ingredients are from, 5-a-day, and sugar and salt content. They also include information on sustainability, welfare and their breastfeeding policy
• no longer serving food containing E133 brilliant blue, which is linked to hyperactivity

The areas where they could do better include:

• a minority of the meat is farm assured and none is high welfare (freedom food, free range, organic)
• almost none of the protein is prepared on site from fresh ingredients – it would be great to see less processed options on the menu

Parents feedback included that: "9 different options off the larger meal menu, with a good selection of vegetarian options."

• Compared to 2021 league table: -1

• Food you can trust: 2/5

• Healthy choices: 2.5/5

• Family-friendly: 3/5

Prezzo got top marks for:

• more than half the menu is meat-free

• half the protein on the menu is prepared on-site from fresh ingredients.

The areas where they could do better include:

• it would be good to see 2 portions of vegetables served with every meal; some mains don’t come with any vegetables at all

• they still aren't taking any steps to reduce antibiotic use in their supply chains

• some of the meat isn’t farm assured and none is high welfare (freedom food, free range, organic)

Parents feedback included that: "a second veg would have been good"

• Compared to 2021 league table: -3
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 3/5
• Family-friendly: 2.5/5

Brewers Fayre got top marks for:

• all meals come with at least two portions of vegetables; a few options have ‘hidden’ vegetables, like their 10-Veg Tomato Pasta and Mac & Cheese with butternut squash and broccoli
• the menu is designed to help parents make informed choices, with information on 5-a-day, nutrition, sustainability and welfare practices
• all meat on the menu is farm assured, helping ensure traceability

The areas where they could do better include:

• it would be good for all their eggs to be free range
• one of the puddings contains more sugar than advised by the NHS for 7-10 year-olds
• they no longer serve organic products
• a minority of the protein offered is prepared on site from fresh ingredients
• they still use some palm oil not certified sustainable

Parents feedback included that: "It's really easy to get something kids will eat and include 2 portions of veg!"

• Compared to 2021 league table: -5

• Food you can trust: 1.5/5

• Healthy choices: 2.5/5

• Family-friendly: 2/5

TGI Fridays got top marks for:

• all meat is farm assured, so you know it meets minimum welfare standards

• they are the only chain to have an antibiotics policy that restricts the use of highest-priority critically important antibiotics and to collect data on antibiotic use in their supply chain

• all dishes are served with apple, cucumber and carrot sticks

• they cater to different age groups and offer smaller portions on some mains; free baby food is also available

The areas where they could do better include:

• less than half the menu is currently meat-free; it would be good to see some more healthy vegetarian and vegan options

• nearly half the menu includes fried food

• Compared to 2021 league table: no change
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 2.5/5
• Family-friendly: 2.5/5

Bella Italia got top marks for:

• there are plenty of plant-based options; 75% of the menu is meat-free
• gluten free options are clearly indicated on the menu; you can get full nutritional information via a QR code
• all main dishes contain less than 1.71g of salt, meeting the 2024 Salt Reduction target

The areas where they could do better include:

• none of the protein on the menu is prepared on-site from fresh ingredients; it would be great to see less
• processed options, including plant-based protein from whole foods like beans and pulses
• none of the meat is farm assured or high welfare; it would be good to see better traceability as a first step

Parents feedback included that: "the activities were really good."

• Compared to 2021 league table: +2

• Food you can trust: 2/5

• Healthy choices: 1.5/5

• Family-friendly: 3/5

McDonald's gets top marks for:

• they only serve farm-assured meat and some of the meat is from the UK

• they ensure responsible use of antibiotics, which helps stop antimicrobial resistance

• the vegetarian option contains healthy plant-based protein from whole foods (split peas)

• all Happy Meal milk bottles are organic and sourced from UK dairies; all eggs are free range

The areas where they could do better include:

• meals should be more balanced; this includes offering more fruit and vegetable portions as standard and less fried options

• it would be great to see higher welfare accredited meat on their menu

• nearly none of the protein on the menu is prepared on-site from fresh ingredients; it would be good to see less processed options available.

• Compared to 2021 league table: -3
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 2/5
• Family-friendly: 2.5/5

Pizza Express get top marks for:

• many items on the menu can be changed to suit dietary requirements, such as vegan or gluten-free
  one of the only restaurants offering similar options on the adult and children’s menus
• they offer a variety of non-fried options
• they are a signatory of the WRAP Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, and they work with Too Good To Go to stop food going to waste

The areas where they could do better include:

• none of the meat on the menu (except for chicken breasts) is currently farm assured or high welfare
• none of the protein is prepared from fresh ingredients on-site
• animal feed is not certified sustainable, which means that it could be contributing to deforestation
• few meals included 2 or more of your 5-a-day; it would be good to see more vegetable portions and fresh fruit as standard in meals

Parents feedback included that: "many of the options on the kids menus are the same as the adult menu"

• Compared to 2021 league table: New
• Food you can trust: 1.5/5
• Healthy choices: 2/5
• Family-friendly: 2/5

KFC got top marks for:

• fresh fruit is part of the kids’ menu
• all meat is farm assured and they don’t use any palm oil
• 5-a-day information is available on menus; full nutritional information is shown at kiosks and on the KFC app

The areas where they could do better include:

• it would be good to see healthier and more varied main meal options; the only protein option is chicken
• all meals contain fried ingredients, either hand-breaded or bought in pre-breaded
• there are no meat-free main meal options in the kids’ menu, despite having a vegan option on the adult menu
• it would be good to see a stricter antibiotics policy as a lot of meat is featured on the menu

Parents feedback included that:  "there are about 3 main options with varying sides. Sides were baked beans, sweetcorn or coleslaw."

• Compared to 2021 league table: +1
• Food you can trust: 1/5
• Healthy choices: 1.5/5
• Family-friendly: 3.5/5

Pizza Hut got top marks for:

• more than half of the menu is meat-free
• there is a good variety of vegetables available to add as toppings to the pizzas and at the salad bar
• children loved choosing from the variety of salad, and different portions are great to accommodate different appetites

The areas where they could do better include:

• it would be good to see more plant-based protein on the menu, especially from whole foods. For example, lentils could be used in the spaghetti Bolognese
• most dessert options are high in sugar and calories. The chocolate brownie contains 43g of sugar. This is almost twice the NHS's recommended daily allowance for 7-10 year olds
• artificially sweetened bottomless fizzy drinks are available
• the menu should come with more information on 5-a-day and nutrition, helping families make informed choices

Parents feedback included that: "good variety of choice including both veggie and meat. The salad bar is a great idea."

• Compared to 2021 league table: New
• Food you can trust: 0.5/5
• Healthy choices: 0.5/5
• Family-friendly: 2/5

Franco Manca got top marks for:

• half the menu is meat-free
• no meals have chips with them
• they provide activities for children

The areas where they could do better include:

• they didn’t respond to our restaurant survey; we don’t know how their food is prepared or what their sourcing policies are
• other than calories, there is no indication on menu of what is better for you; it would be good to see 5-a-day information included as a start
• the majority of meals aren’t balanced. All meals could include a starchy food, a portion of protein, and ideally 2 portions of vegetable or salad
• with only 4 main meal options and no sides or starters, there’s a lack of variety on the kids’ menu. Other dishes are available on the adult menu and could be made available for kids

Parents feedback included that: "only option available is pizza. None served with a salad or side portion of veg."