Presented by the Soil Association, the certification follows two years of work to continually improve the council’s primary school meal offer and recognises a commitment to cooking from scratch wherever possible, using ingredients that meet strict welfare and sourcing standards.

Around 11,000 primary school pupils are benefitting from the changes, which include seasonal fruit and vegetables, freshly prepared soups and salads that are all available free to every child, every day, whether they have a school meal or a packed lunch. 

How the certification was achieved 

Achieving the certification involved a thorough review of menus and kitchen practice, introduced in August 2025. Menus were redesigned with input from the children themselves, kitchen teams received new training, and the Council committed to increased spending on fresh produce.  

The ambition was simple: where possible, everything on the plate should be made from scratch. Three quarters of all dishes are now cooked from scratch – for example, a tomato pasta sauce is prepared fresh using tomatoes, carrots, peppers and herbs rather than a pre-made alternative. 

Around 30% of the menu is now sourced from Scotland, and kitchen staff have noticed a marked increase in children choosing soup, fruit and salad since those items became free. This has also helped them become more adventurous with their food choices.