Wahaca reinvents the school dinner tray to raise funds for Chefs in Schools

Mexican-inspired restaurant chain Wahaca will begin serving a limited-edition lunchtime special modelled on the school dinner tray at its 14 UK restaurants from 16^th September, with 50p from every dish sold donated to the charity Chefs in Schools. The Good Lunch will be available between 12pm and 4pm until 14^th October, priced at £19.95.

The dish takes its cue from the compartmentalised trays familiar from school dining halls, though the contents are rather different. Diners choose either guacamole or a butter bean and confit garlic dip, served with tortilla chips, alongside two tacos from a selection of fillings and the restaurant’s new chipotle meatballs. A slice of chocolate mole cake with pouring cream arrives at the same time as the savoury dishes, mimicking the school canteen practice of serving everything at once.

The launch coincides with a significant period for school food policy in England. The Government has today published the first update to the School Food Standards in more than a decade, bringing school catering into line with current nutritional guidance. Separately, free school meals are being extended this month to all households receiving Universal Credit, making an additional 500,000 children eligible and representing the largest expansion of the scheme in years.

Chefs in Schools, which works with schools and their kitchen teams to improve food culture and children’s access to nutritious meals, was co-founded by Wahaca co-founder Thomasina Miers, who also serves as a trustee.

“A great lunch should be something to look forward to, whatever your age and whether you’re at school, at home, at work – or dining out,” Miers noted. “The Good Lunch is our playful take on the classic school lunch tray, helping to shine a light on something that’s so important – that every child deserves to have good food at school – and that it benefits the whole of society when they do. I’ve seen first-hand the incredible difference that brilliant school food can make, and I’m hugely proud that Wahaca can support the work of Chefs in Schools through this very special new dish.”

Nicole Pisani, Chefs in Schools’ chief innovation officer and co-founder, observed: “Food has the power to change everything – how children feel, how they learn, how they see the world. I’ve spent my career in some of London’s most exciting kitchens, and I can tell you that the most creative, joyful cooking I’ve ever seen is happening in school kitchens up and down this country, with chefs doing extraordinary things on a shoestring. What Wahaca are doing with The Good Lunch is shining a light on that – saying school food matters, it can be delicious, and it deserves to be taken seriously. This is a once in a generation moment and we couldn’t be more grateful to have Wahaca standing alongside us.”

Food Desk

The Good Lunch is available from 16^th September until 14^th October at Wahaca restaurants across the UK.