This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

CHEFS IN SCHOOLS ¥1 ANNUAL REPORT For the year ending 31 August 2025

Registered Charity No. 1178964 Registered Company No. 11356489 (England & Wales)

CONTENTS
Welcome	4
Our purpose	9
2024/25 highlights	10
Our three pillars of work	12
Partnerships and impact	52
Organisational development	62
Looking ahead	64
Trustees report	66
Independent auditors report	77
Statement of financial activities	82
Balance sheet	84
Statement of cashflows	85
Notes to the financial statements	86

WELCOME

A LANDMARK YEAR FOR SCHOOL FOOD

After more than eight years of sustained campaigning and building proof of concept in schools, this is a breakthrough moment. Policy levers now exist that, if pulled, could ensure every child has the same opportunity to eat, enjoy and learn about real food at school. Over the course of the last year, we have been consulting directly with policy makers, alongside others, all working to bring our ambitions into reality. Now, we’re poised to take action as we look to the new year.

This year marked the most significant leap forward for school food in over a decade. The Department for Education committed £1bn to school food, the School Food Standards are being revised, the expansion of Free School Meals entitlement will benefit more than 500,000 children and with the Breakfast pilot underway, momentum for change on a national level has never been stronger.

A place for community and connection

In the autumn of 2024, we launched the Membership at our inaugural Annual Conference. As we continue developing our core interventions to train and support kitchen teams and the school community, it’s become necessary to establish a programme that serves those working on the coal face of school food. Unlike many other professions, the people working in school kitchens have little to no opportunity to network, learn with and from others who do the same job. The Membership is our offering to fill that gap, providing a forum for peer support, events, webinars and resources.

A team fit for the future

We’ve continued to grow our operational teams to meet the demands for our services. With the launch of the Membership and expansion of our Chef Educator Training Programme, we’ve recruited into key positions that will enable us to develop our newer programmes, and scale our reach further across England and Wales.

New horizons

We reached children, chefs and school communities in new places this year, such as Monmouthshire in Wales and Birmingham in the Midlands. As we extend our national reach, we look forward to working in more new regions. Ensuring the greatest possible impact - not only for the people we serve directly but also for the wider communities in the long-term - has never been more important.

Stronger together

As ever, our fastest and most sure route to success is to work in partnership. We’re incredibly proud to hold space with other organisations, experts, and advocates who want to make school food better. Some of the strongest partnerships we’ve forged this year have been with local authorities and public health teams across the country, who have shared their resources, and deep knowledge and understanding of the local context of school food in

their areas. As we roll out our plans to scale and extend our work across the UK, we will further build our networks on the ground, as well as continuing to work in charity coalitions to directly support schools, and drive change through our influencing and campaigning work.

Change happens slowly and then suddenly. This progress wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our team, supporters and partners, who continue to power our mission.

Dr Tamsin Cooper Co-Chair of Trustees

Henry Dimbleby Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Trustees

Naomi Duncan Chief Executive

----- Start of picture text -----
Nicole PIsani
Co-Founder and
Chief Innovation
Officer
----- End of picture text -----

Our vision is that every child has access to quality, tasty, exciting, nutritious school food and food education – and therefore is equipped with the knowledge to choose, and make, nourishing food throughout their lives.

OUR PURPOSE

As a team of chefs, trainers and school food experts, we support schools and their kitchen teams to bring their vision for school food to life. We deliver direct interventions that set schools up with the skills and knowledge to feed kids nutritious, delicious and exciting meals, and build a thriving community around what happens in the dining hall.

With one in three children leaving primary school overweight or obese*, and rates twice as high in the most deprived areas, school food could be part of the solution to addressing our national health crisis - yet it’s part of the problem.

The operating environment we work in is complex. School budgets are tighter and demands are higher than ever. The school food system is broken - from the way it’s funded and unregulated to a culture of low expectations driven by unhealthy nostalgia and system fatigue.

We can’t fix all of these things overnight (we’re trying!) but we can offer schools a solution that means kids eat better food and receive vital food education that will serve them into adulthood. And we can work with schools to create and showcase best practice examples to inspire others to make a change.

We work with organisations, partners and local and national government who sit at the various intersections of school food. From caterers and the food industry, to public health teams and chefs and senior leadership teams at schools across the country.

We do this work because we believe that all children should have equal opportunity to nourishing, brainpowering food that fuels their school day and beyond.

*Source(s): Sellen, P., et al., 2018. Evaluation of Universal Infant Free School Meals, Holford, A., and Rabe, B.

2024/25 HIGHLIGHTS

----- Start of picture text -----
This year, we wanted to deepen our impact in
schools and with the school food workforce,
focusing on delivering quality interventions that
have a lasting legacy. Quality has always been at
the heart of our ethos and as we’ve grown, it’s been
tempting to drive for and measure our success in
numbers. We took a view to prioritise quality as our
key driver, from procuring higher quality ingredients,
improving the quality of training available to school
chefs and kitchen teams, to providing meaningful
opportunities for those working in school food to
form quality connections with others.
----- End of picture text -----

We reached over 47,000 children across the country through our direct interventions this year.

OUR THREE CORE PILLARS OF WORK

LEAD

Transforming food and food education through our hands-on work in schools to create beacons of best practice and ongoing innovation centres that inspire others to follow our lead.

ENABLE

Driving wider systems change as the authoritative voice on quality school food and food education. We use our expertise and voice to shape local and national policy. We provide professional development to school chefs and kitchen teams to equip them with the tools they need to deliver great food and food education.

INSPIRE

A professional Membership of school leaders, chefs and food educators. We provide long-term support through in person-support, a resource hub, training and networking events. We also have our own supply chain that focuses on procuring quality, fresh ingredients to set schools up to feed children well.

From creative menus to new models of delivery, school kitchens across the UK continued to raise the bar this year with these standout moments.

WALES

We delivered our first School Chef Educator training programme in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council.

WEST MIDLANDS

Hubbub funded a food-waste focused training programme for chefs working within The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership in the West Midlands.

LONDON

SOUTH WEST

The Hub Kitchen grew, delivering fresh, nutritious meals to schools in Hackney - couriered by e-bike!
Gainsborough School opened a community kitchen and polytunnels, to grow their own ingredients on site.
London Academy cut costs by £50,000 and increased sales by £10,000 by transforming their food offering and scratch-cooking.
The Grove School featured in Riverford’s Veg & Table magazine showcasing their fantastic seasonal menus.
Devonport School swapped out beef mince for venison as it is more sustainable and affordable. They now bake their own bread for sandwiches and prefer sweet potato empanadas instead of paninis!

LEAD: DEEPENING IMPACT IN SCHOOLS

----- Start of picture text -----
5 Schools
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
3,433 Children
----- End of picture text -----

SCHOOL TRANSFORMATIONS

CASE STUDY

LONDON ACADEMY, EDGWARE ALL THROUGH SCHOOL, 1,709 STUDENTS

----- Start of picture text -----
  
RECRUITING A NEW TEAM
1
----- End of picture text -----

BEFORE

The school’s kitchen was previously staffed entirely by agency workers. In the autumn, we brought on Cedric as the new Executive Chef. Cedric

had experience working at another Chefs in Schools’ partner school, so he was ready for the challenge. We

restructured the kitchen team with Cedric overseeing both the primary and secondary school kitchens, supported by two Sous Chefs who focus on cooking from scratch and batch cooking to save time and resources.

CHEF TRAINER SUPPORT 2

In January 2025, our Chef Trainers, Adam and Andy, began an intensive training programme to support Cedric and the kitchen team. Their goal was to help improve kitchen processes and make the food service more efficient. The secondary school kitchen is now

the production hub for both sites, and it has been upgraded with new equipment to enhance functionality. Food is prepared at the secondary school and transported to the primary school each day.

----- Start of picture text -----
ADAM
18
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
ANDY
----- End of picture text -----

THE RESULTS

A NEW MENU

Cedric, with help from Adam and Andy, has curated new menus that will rotate every half term. The team now cooks everything from scratch, using fresh produce and adding more vegetables to every meal.

PRODUCE SWAPS

Instead of buying in pre-made sandwiches, the kitchen now bakes par-baked baguettes and makes the fillings in-house using fresh ingredients. In due course, they plan to bake their own baguettes on site.

IMPROVED SYSTEMS & EFFICIENCY

To reduce chaos and tackle a problem with theft in the dining hall, we have altered the system so that students now pay for their food before collecting it. There’s a fixed price for break snacks (£1) and lunch (£2.50).

UPF FREE SNACK TIME

Previously, the snacks offered during break were ultra-processed and pre-packaged. Now, the team prepares exciting daily fresh snacks such as veggie pakoras and chicken curry wraps.

UPTAKE INCREASE

The kitchen now serves around 1,000 lunches and 500 snacks daily. They are handling huge quantities: 85 kilos of fish on Fridays, 130 kilos of potato wedges, and 35 trays of lasagne.

----- Start of picture text -----
AFTER
----- End of picture text -----

If another school was thinking of working with Chefs in Schools, what would you say?

Q&A WITH DELORA AND BEN

Delora, our Social Media Officer, sat down with Ben Wythe, Chief Operating Officer at AIM Academies Trust, to get his perspective on London Academy’s school transformation journey.

What changes have you seen in the way your kitchen team works and the food they serve?

The team is really happy and engaged

more than they have been in the previous six years I’ve worked here. Everybody’s involved in food preparation, working with the students, and helping make the dining room a

Ben: I’d recommend it 100%.

really nice place to be. Previously it fell on the head chef to lead on all of that, but now it feels much more like a team effort, which is great.

On the food side, the main change is the healthy side options. It’s been a massive improvement. You walk into the dining room now and everybody’s got a couple of side salads, some coleslaw, or a bit of watermelon – whatever it is that day. We’d always had decent main meals, but those pupil choice bits, the optional extras which are free here, have improved massively. That leads to healthier eating and all that good stuff.

Students are eating more different food because they’re choosing those sides themselves, and they’re being encouraged to try things they wouldn’t ordinarily eat.

How has the dining hall experience improved for students and staff? The staff rave about the food now, which is a really useful barometer of how good it is and how much it’s improved. We’d fallen into a rut before – big school, short lunch – so there were some frozen foods and compromises because of how things were set up. Now Cedric and the team bread fish themselves for fish and chips. Many staff have told me they can taste the difference. When you walk across the atrium with Cedric, people literally stop him to say how nice lunch was, which is great.

Have the students said anything about the changes?

They engage with him (Cedric) a lot more than they used to. In primary, they really like the food and they’ll tell you that. With secondary, it’s harder to get a positive reaction, and change is

harder with teenagers. If you’re shifting from frozen fish fingers to scratchmade fish, it takes time.

We also made break options healthier. Before, uptake was really high because break food was pretty beige – pizzas, nachos, chicken wings – basically what the kids wanted. We knew uptake at break would fall, but it’s driven students to eat lunch every day and get a rounded meal rather than spending their allowance on an unhealthy break snack and then not eating lunch. They’re not going to run up and rave about swapping three slices of pizza for a proper lunch, but the uptake tells the story.

Any specific stories about trying new foods?

The one that stands out is negative – fish pie didn’t go down well in the primary. But now, whenever there’s feedback like that, it comes with a caveat:

“We love Cedric, we love the team, we love the food.”

The chefs introduce the food every day, explain what it is, talk about the ingredients and where the dish originated. It gets students engaged and it’s a nice way for the team to connect with the kids.

People didn’t used to feel the need to couch it like that. It shows they care.

board so they’re with us as students move through the school.

Have parents or the wider community noticed a difference?

Yes, definitely. We had to put more effort into comms. Any change gets pushback, and a few parents said their child wasn’t eating since we changed things. We explained what we’d done and why. We’ve got two parent governors with different experiences: one’s child and their friends absolutely love the food; the other’s has not enjoyed the shift as much. That’s been useful. We’ve worked with Bite Back and done surveys to bring parents and students with us. We also do family-style dining for Year 7, free of charge. When families join the secondary school, their first experience is their child being able to eat as much as they want for free. It helps bring families on

Have you introduced initiatives related to sustainability, food waste reduction, or growing produce?

Not yet. Cedric and the team are hot on not wasting food, but there’s a tension: we want portion sizes to be generous and we want students to be able to go up again. We’re working out how to do that without waste. Once community dining is bedded in and we’re the other side of winter, we’ll look at growing our own produce.

Why does school food matter to you personally? What would you say to a headteacher who thinks it doesn’t matter?

Probably that they’re in the wrong job. Our free school meal percentage is really high across our schools. You see the difference a hot meal makes. In a perfect world, we’d feed every student every day for free and not worry about eligibility admin.

School food levels the playing field. We know disadvantaged students don’t perform as well and that this is one of the reasons. If you can fix

started using some that were better quality and a bit more expensive.

that, why wouldn’t you? It’s an easy win compared to some of the other challenges schools face.

Why did London Academy choose to partner with Chefs in Schools? Has it met your expectations?

It has. We realised we had a gap in expertise around food. We’ve got strong people for IT, premises, HR and finance, but not food. The previous team could cook, but we lacked someone to bridge the gap between leadership and kitchen and say, “If you want that, do this, this and this.” Adam, Andy, Cedric and Sreshta didn’t bring a one-size-fits-all model. They asked what we wanted and worked with our restrictions. In a perfect world they might have changed lunch length, location and menu, and we said we weren’t going to do that. They still helped us make it amazing. It feels like a partnership.

Uptake went up, waste went down, and we ordered the right quantities of better food. We’re selling more. I was uneasy about higher costs at first, but they were right. The financial picture of the canteen is better now than when we were buying cheaper ingredients.

What goals do you have for the future of food and nutrition at your school? Abundance of healthy food. I want all the kids to eat, come back for seconds, pile salad and fruit on their plates, and feel they can eat as much as they want before school, at break and at lunch. Our job is to do that sensibly and sustainably, and to make sure money doesn’t feel like an object for families.

Have there been any financial benefits to working with Chefs in Schools?

Yes. We reviewed suppliers and

INNOVATION

Snack pilots in secondary schools

compared sales data before and after the pilot. A designated student focus group helped us understand what is not working in current secondary school food provision and co-designed the menu and potential solutions. The intention was to develop a light-touch model that enables schools to explore a better snack offer and access support from Chefs in Schools, without needing to commit immediately to full catering transformation.

We have been developing new approaches to snack provision in secondary schools. The primary focus is to tackle the ultra-processed food epidemic in canteens across the country - replacing the ‘sea of beige’ with nourishing, vibrant real food choices.

We partnered with Athena Trust to map their current snack offers and identify more sustainable, healthier alternatives that reduce reliance on high-fat, high-sugar, ultra-processed snacks. As part of this work, we tested a fully vegetarian snack menu and

In parallel, we have been developing a set of minimum food standards for snack time. These recommendations will reflect current evidence on how unhealthy food contributes to poor physical and mental health, and the need for standards that better protect and promote young people’s wellbeing.

Piloting new breakfast models – the breakfast toolkit

With government attention starting to focus on providing healthy breakfasts to support improved attendance, behaviour and attainment – and on the role of food in tackling educational

r+Y115 11 BREAKFAST ESSENriAIs 25.

LITI, 26

disadvantage – we have developed a model breakfast provision toolkit. This is designed for a variety of settings (including those with and without onsite kitchens or trained teams) and includes proposed menu rotations, recipes and shopping lists.

Over the year, three breakfast pilot days have taken place in three different school settings. We were able to test what happens when breakfast goes beyond a simple delivery but is designed as an integral part of the school’s food offer, led and/or supported by the kitchen team rather than sitting as a separate service. The toolkit and pilots combined have helped raise awareness about the offering being nutritionally robust and operationally realistic for school teams to deliver, and helped schools with small changes.

Procurement

Our procurement team continues to drive excellence through our recommended suppliers; onboarding a new meat & poultry supplier, and recommencing our exercise to find a supplier of fruit & vegetables. Collectively, 61 schools spent just under £1m though our recommended supplier network in 2024/25, getting excellent value on quality produce.

We’re continually finding innovative ingredients to help schools still provide excellent quality meals - with the introduction of venison, mutton and trout, we’ll continue to test recipes we can use in school kitchens as part of our school transformation training.

In May, we hosted our first breakfast workshop in Hackney, which was attended by 10 chefs from outside of the Chefs in Schools network. With the support of the School Business Manager from LDBS Trust, we provided insight to the ways chefs can truly make breakfast work within budget and time constraints. We’re looking forward to hosting more workshops in the future.

“We strive to ensure that every child has access to food that’s joyful and cooked from real ingredients by kitchen teams who are inspired and passionate about what they do and are valued within their school.

School food can be transformed when you give kitchen teams proper training; empower them to incorporate recipes inspired by the communities they’re part of and use more local food. When school leaders see food as part of their overall curriculum, attendance and behaviour improve and curiosity in food increases.

If we continue to design school food and food education around equity and accessibility and stop pretending food is separate from learning, school kitchens can become a powerful tool to change children’s lives and feed the future generations.”

Nicole, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder

ENABLE: STRENGTHENING TRAINING, POLICY INFLUENCE AND SYSTEM DISRUPTION

130 Schools 43,600 Children

96 Graduate Chefs

TRAINING THE KITCHEN TEAM WORKFORCE

Building on our existing partnerships, we continued to deliver the School Chef Educator programmes throughout London, Hull & the South West, and our first in the East Midlands. The team delivered training with 96 graduate chefs, working across 130 schools, serving over 43,600 children every day.

We delivered the first of three School Chef Educator programmes focussing on reducing food waste in schools, supported by funding through the charity Hubbub.

This training, alongside upskilling and empowering kitchen teams to cook delicious and nutritious food, supports chefs to reduce the amount of food waste in schools, from waste produced in the kitchen, through to the pass and the dining hall. The training was delivered to kitchen teams across the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership Trust, and used as a blue print for future cohorts. Data from the pre & post training revealed the average total food waste per child had decreased by 22%.

----- Start of picture text -----
31
----- End of picture text -----

To further raise our profile and awareness of the training programme, the team met with many public health professionals throughout the year, presenting at webinars focussed towards healthy weight networks supporting the improvement of children’s health and obesity prevention. This has laid the groundwork for us to scale the programme to new regions in 2025, enabling us to target regions with areas of high socio-economic deprivation.

The final day of 2024/25 saw the team kick off our first training programme

delivered in Wales, with a School Chef Educator programme in Monmouthshire. With the programme being delivered throughout the Autumn term in 2025, we are excited to see our impact reach Welsh schools, further enabling our outreach in new regions across the UK.

With the increase in programme delivery scheduled, our existing Chef Trainer for the programme was promoted to Programme Manager and we recruited two new Chef Trainers ready to deliver training throughout 2025/26.

“The food waste training has had a noticeable financial benefit across our catering operations. By empowering teams to reduce waste, we’ve seen improved cost control and more sustainable practices embedded into daily routines. It also boosted team engagement, with staff showing real enthusiasm for menu development and waste-conscious planning.”

Harry Matthews, Catering Operations Manager, Arthur Terry Learning Partnership

NATHAN SCARLETT 34

OUR YEAR IN COMMS

From school kitchen takeovers to national TV moments, seismic policy shifts to veggie snacks taking centre stage, 2024/25 has been nothing short of transformative.

School Chefs in the spotlight Amber Francis, Head Chef at Christ’s College Finchley, didn’t just compete in the BBC’s Great British Menu, she triumphed as Champion of Champions, showcasing her winning dish at Blenheim Palace. Not only did this put Amber on our screens, it secured news coverage for the school food revolution. Amber’s dish was inspired by her early food education in primary school.

Nathan Scarlett, Executive Chef and Food Educator at Henry Cavendish Primary School, was crowned ‘Chef Champion’ at the Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards. Praised as “brilliant, inspiring, and full of heart” by Mary Berry, and celebrated by Ellie Simmonds for making food “exciting, educational and totally inclusive”. Jamie Oliver calls him “an absolute superstar” who’s not only feeding children but fueling their confidence, curiosity, and sense of belonging. Hats off to Russ Ball of Pokesdown Primary in Bournemouth, who, after winning Jamie Oliver’s School Chef Award last year, received a national School Food Award from parliament

for his transformative work. Russ even gave evidence in Parliament, championing the power of scratch cooking and real food in schools.

And after serving up an estimated two million meals over a 42 year career at Mandeville, Margaret Blairy hung up her school chef apron. But not before winning our lifetime achievement award. Margaret only intended to work in school food for a short time while her children were young but found it impossible to leave.

She said:

“I committed to the job because it was for the children. I loved to cook for them.”

AMBER FRANCIS 35

In the news

From Delicious Magazine to the Financial Times and a host of regional publications, our charity was in the headlines. The Financial Times covered the junk food crisis harming Britain’s children and asked if the UK could turn the tide, featuring best practice examples and quotes from our charity.

Stir It Up covered our partnership with Riverford to ‘vegucate’ children in the southwest. While Riverford’s Wicked Leeks visited the Grove and showcased the food, food education and produce available on site. Our co-

chair, Henry Dimbleby, featured in their veg box newsletter talking about the skill required to feed children well.

Minister Morgan’s visit to the Hackney School of Food to see our work in action was covered in the Hackney Gazette and Public Sector Catering Magazine. Foodservice Footprint covered our polling of parents.

The education focussed website and podcast, Headteacher Update, profiled our school food revolution, speaking to our co-founder, Nicole Pisani, and headteachers we work with.

Saturday Kitchen, Bristol Live, the Craft Guild of Chefs and other hospitality focussed titles, covered Amber’s success on Great British Menu and work in schools and role as an ambassador for our charity. While further regional publications and their websites highlighted Russ Ball’s and Nathan Scarlett’s success - Nathan’s story also featured in the Sun, showing how food was more than a meal to him, it was a chance to inspire future generations.

MINISTER MORGAN AT THE HACKNEY SCHOOL OF FOOD •r rfrF 38

Throughout the year, we shared

Our channels

stories on our channels from kitchens and training days as they happened. From daily bread making to getting venison on menus, our posts showed what school food looks like. Parents

Our posts have been reaching more people, taking the school food revolution to a wider audience. Nearly 630,000 impressions across the school year, more than double the previous period, helped put school chefs and kitchen teams into view beyond the school gates.

got in touch with messages about children feeling better after school thanks to improvements in the food. One child who didn’t like pasta came back to whisper, “This was the best pasta I’ve ever had.”

School food is getting attention. When Amber was crowned the BBC’s Great British Menu Champion of Champions, and Nathan was crowned Jamie Oliver’s School Chef Champion, people responded. Our feeds filled with comments, shares, and conversations about what school chefs are capable of.

Instagram grew to nearly 13k followers, with short videos and carousels performing particularly well. LinkedIn engagement was exceptionally strong, with posts shared widely across the sector, helping carry these stories into policy and funding conversations.

----- Start of picture text -----
12.7k
----- End of picture text -----

INFLUENCING & CAMPAIGNING

Chefs in Schools was on the frontline of policy change and campaigning. We hosted Stephen Morgan MP, Minister for Early Education, as well as school lunch visits with civil servants from the Department for Education.

evidence pack and helping to deliver a parliamentary event where this was launched (and where we provided a delicious, nutritious lunch for the MPs, campaigners and youth advocates in attendance).

We continue to play an active role within the School Food Review, a coalition of more than forty organisations undertaking advocacy and campaigning work to deliver positive change across the school food system. Our involvement included contributing to the updated ‘The Superpowers of School Food’

In June, the Government’s

announcement that Free School Meals would be extended to all children in households on Universal Credit – and that School Food Standards would be revised – was a testament to the collective campaigning we’ve been doing alongside all members of the School Food Review.

----- Start of picture text -----
40
----- End of picture text -----

1.4 41

The polling found 96% of parents feel it’s important that school meals are prepared with fresh or nutritious ingredients.

What are parents saying?

With Survation’s help, we polled 1,000 parents for our report: The School Food Standards, What Parents Want for their Children.

Our report (released 10.07.25) revealed a snapshot of what parents from all income brackets wanted in schools. In a nutshell: it’s junk food out, more fresh food in, plus better monitoring of food standards.

Two thirds of parents (66%) are concerned about the possibility of junk food being offered to a child in secondary school every day. A quarter say these items should not be available in schools at all. Perhaps because three quarters (78%) say that without guidance their children would choose items high in sugar, salt and fat.

quality, with around three quarters (78%) saying they want the government to actively inspect and enforce the School Food Standards in every school.

There is widespread support for development of school chefs with 80% of those polled believing the government should make it mandatory for school chefs to receive training in child nutrition and the preparation of nutritious food.

Our polling formed part of the case for change which saw two major steps forward:

Free School Meal eligibility expanded
School Food Standards review announced

These are two key aims we’ve long campaigned for.

The polling revealed strong support among parents for monitoring of

“Tasty, real food, cooked from scratch – accessed and enjoyed by all children. Food that is appreciated as an important part of every child’s learning experience. Children equipped with the skills, knowledge and opportunity to eat nutritious food. That’s our vision for school food in this country.

----- Start of picture text -----
L-R NICOLE PISANI, STEPHEN MORGAN MP, CYNTHIA OWIE, NAOMI DUNC
----- End of picture text -----

The government’s announcement that they will update the School Food Standards is a chance to help make this . vision a reality

“Updating the School Food Standards is a welcome action and a vital chance to make nutritious and tasty food the primary choice for children. This is about much more than food. It’s about setting children up for life. Children represent our collective future, it’s time we start feeding them like it.”

----- Start of picture text -----
CAN
----- End of picture text -----

Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive at Chefs in Schools

ENABLING WIDESPREAD CHANGE

To inspire and support schools, we launched two free to use resources.

Breakfast Club Guides – in response to the Government’s Breakfast Club pilot announcement, where crafted to bring our chef trainers’ expertise to schools across the country - whether they were going for the basic no cook approach or for a bells and whistles breakfast. We trialled a number of approaches and menus for breakfast with schools in London to ensure the guides were fit for purpose.

School Food Toolkit (relaunched) – our game-changing guide that covers everything from budgets to brilliant food education was updated and shared with new schools.

connecting with others who are doing great work across the third and public sectors is growing. A few highlights include:

Supporting the Southwark School Meals Steering Group.
Provided input and insights to support DEFRA’s national food strategy review.
Provided input and insights to support Department of Education’s national curriculum review to support the review of the cooking and nutrition curriculum within design technology.
Our Procurement Manager supported the project advisory group responsible for the report ‘Follow the Carrot: Can free school meal expansion boost the UK food and farming economy?’

We continue to be asked to the table as a respected voice and expert in the wider school food space. Our work contributing, collaborating and

----- Start of picture text -----
THE FOOD WASTE TOOLKIT
FEED BELLIES, NOT BINS
----- End of picture text -----

THE GRAB
AND GO
HOW TO BRIGHTEN UP
BREAKFAST CLUBS

CHEFS 11 SCHOOLS I TRY SOMElliiNG NEW TUESDAYS •tud•nt• ond chorf• to ta•1• 'r7 47

INSPIRE: THE MEMBERSHIP

35 Schools joined our Membership supporting 180 individual members

----- Start of picture text -----
The Membership delivered four online training sessions,
an in-person event focused on
Our newest programme supporting improving breakfast provision, and a
and connecting school kitchens networking event that brought chefs
across the country launched in from across London together.
Autumn 2024. Our online community continued
to grow, with active peer-to-peer
The first half of the year focused on engagement as chefs shared
building the systems and processes, recipes, ideas and solutions to shared
meeting with our steering group of challenges.
chefs and head teachers, whilst we
developed the core elements of the We also expanded the team and
programme. recruited a Membership Officer to
support our growth plans for the
By July 2025, we had built a strong programme.
bank of resources and recipes and
----- End of picture text -----

Chefs in Schools’ inaugural Conference

On 2 September 2024, we hosted our first-ever national training conference. Deliberately organised on an inset day to enable school kitchen teams to attend as part of their professional development, we brought together over 100 attendees from 35 schools across the country. The conference featured a lineup of inspirational speakers and advocates who reinforced the vital role school chefs play in combating the rising tide of food-related ill health.

Jamie Oliver gave the opening speech and celebrated the “immense”

contribution chefs make. He told them: “What you do individually is really powerful and the dedication and thoughtfulness that you put forward to looking after our kids 190 days a year is amazing, it’s immense. It’s no mean feat but it makes the world of difference to those children.”

Henry Dimbleby and Nicole Pisani, our Co-Founders, shared insights on the importance of the role of school chef and integrating food education into the heart of the school culture. Dame Prue Leith, Chefs in Schools Patron, closed the event and emphasised that school food must “taste wonderful” to bridge the gap between nutrition and student appeal.

----- Start of picture text -----
49
----- End of picture text -----

“It’s extraordinary how for many, many years, this country thought they didn’t need to train school cooks, they would just know how to cook. Food is like anything else, it changes all the time, and we’re far more knowledgeable now than we used to be about nutrition, and what we should be eating. We have to make what children should be eating taste wonderful, so it’s what they want to be eating.” Dame Prue Leith, Chefs in Schools Patron

Cynthia Owie, a catering assistant, said:

“When we gather together like this, we achieve the best and it will make us fly. It will make the kids happy as well.”

Recognising that school food quality is directly linked to student attainment and wellbeing, the conference focused on professionalising the workforce, with chefs and kitchen assistants engaged in hands-on workshops, recipe sharing, and food education “hacks.” We also addressed the isolation often felt by school kitchen teams, providing a rare opportunity for networking and peer-to-peer inspiration.

Tiago Padilha, a head chef and food educator, added:

“Being here with all the chefs gave me ideas of what I can do at my school and in the garden.”

PARTNERSHIPS & IMPACT

Our fundraised income raised from trusts and foundations, major donors and corporates continues to be the dominant source of income for the organisation, supporting our three main programmes and all core costs.

This year, one of our goals was to diversify our fundraising income, having been heavily reliant on income from trusts. With some of our major grants decreasing or coming to the end of their term, it was important for us to build up

other income streams. We’re pleased to report that we successfully grew our corporate portfolio; securing new partnerships with restaurant group, Wahaca, private equity and investment firm CVC and Higgidy, a B-Corp Baked Goods Manufacturer. In the spring, we launched our first commercial fundraising initiative with a £1 on the bill campaign, calling hospitality businesses to partner with us and raise funds through customer donations. We’re pleased to report that we raised over

£26,000 from this initiative across the year and onboarded four new corporate partners, many of which are continuing to support us.

Another goal was to secure more multi-year funding. Alongside securing partnership extensions and renewals with existing funders such as The Food People, Mark Leonard Trust and Charlie Bigham’s, we also secured new grants including a threeyear partnership with the Nutritional

Wellbeing Foundation, who are investing a total of £150,000 to expand our work with secondary schools, and the Eat It Up Fund (Hubbub) focusing on food waste reduction. We also received significant donations from Ennismore Foundation who have funded the new post of Membership Officer, and the Savoy Charitable Trust who have funded a chef training cohort in Bristol.

INCOME

In 2024/25 we raised £1,545,476 and spent £1,621,139. We increased our expenditure by 23% year-on-year in line with our strategic plans to expand our programmes and extend our reach to more children across England and Wales.

Total income: £1,545,476

Investments £8,523 Other Trading Income £525 Charitable Activities £922,230 Donations £614,198

EXPENDITURE

Total Expenditure: £1,621,139 Raising Funds £105,303 Inspire £346,172 Enable £629,860 Lead £539,804

Thank you to all of our funders, new, old and yet to be. Without the unwavering support of the individuals and organisations who join us in the school food revolution, we could not exist. We are grateful for your passion and commitment to making better school food possible for future generations to come.

IMPACT

Our Theory of Change underpins everything we do. It acts as our north star, keeps us accountable and ensures that our work can enable and influence real, tangible change.

It clearly sets out how our interventions and activities will lead to a specific set of outcomes that lay the pathways for us to achieve our long-term impact goals; to improve school food and food education and shift perceptions of what’s possible so children can have better health.

We use qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods to gather our impact and evaluation data, including surveys and interviews.

We also have a steering committee made up of school chefs, school business managers, and school leaders who meet to provide insight and support on a range of topics including the development of our programmes and wider work.

IIMIWI IDt• ' Il

OUTCOME 1

School kitchen teams are motivated, recognised and driving whole-school cultural change.

Chef engagement remains at the heart of our programmes. We know that an empowered, motivated and well-trained workforce leads directly to better food and stronger food education for children.

90%

95%

of trained chefs report a personal sense of accomplishment in their role. The top areas of support chefs value are food education, professional development and community.

98%

are more involved in food education after completing the programme.

feel more confident explaining nutritious options to students.

Participants consistently report greater confidence, creativity, skills and autonomy — with many describing a shift in identity from cook to food educator.

“Since working with Chefs in Schools, I feel more confident, creative and valued as part of the school team.” School Chef

OUTCOME 2

Schools are inspired to drive for improvement and empowered to do so, and policymakers see school food as a priority.

Whole-school commitment drives sustainable change. When leaders, decision-makers and budget holders invest in food culture and literacy, improvement follows.

85%

In partnership with Hubbub, 14 chefs completed the School Chef Educator Programme, achieving an average 22% reduction in food waste across service, kitchen and plate waste.

of trained chefs reported a change in kitchen practices, including reduced waste, new recipes and increased pupil engagement.

“This programme has completely changed the way I approach my job – I now see myself as a food educator.” School Chef Educator Graduate

98%

Schools report stronger food culture and increased chef-led engagement through daily meals 98% of chefs are now more involved in food education in their school since completing the programme.

95%

of graduates feel more equipped to explain nutritious options to children after the course. Participants report greater confidence, skills and autonomy in their roles.

This work strengthens the wider school food landscape while demonstrating what is possible when food quality, creativity and education are prioritised.

“The children are eating more fruit and veg, and even trying new foods they never touched before.”

Head Teacher

We drive innovation and a culture of quality of food, share best practice and act as an enabling force.

OUTCOME 3

Beyond improving provision and driving up quality, we’re shifting perceptions of school food and the workforce behind it.

School leaders identify our strongest support areas as:

Staff training
Chef recruitment
Menu development

75%

see improved student behaviour and concentration.

have strengthened their food education curriculum and the way it’s delivered.

88%

report a better dining atmosphere, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and an increased likelihood of students trying new foods.

We launched our Membership and held our first Annual Conference attended by 100 people who work in school kitchens across the country. We delivered over a dozen in-person events and webinars to bring together and strengthen the school food workforce.

“The dining hall feels happier, calmer and more inclusive.” Head Teacher

Our work results in changes to government and local policies that support our aims.

OUTCOME 4

We’ve been at the table consulting on the big ticket policy changes that Government has committed to over the past year, including:

We’ve engaged with more than 13 steering committees and advisory groups, contributing to local and national decisionmaking across the school ecosystem that drives systemic change (see pX for more detail).

The revision of School Food Standards
The rollout of the breakfast club pilot
The expansion of Free School Meals entitlement

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 62

Diversity, Equity, Equality and Inclusion

At the start of this year, we articulated our organisational position and ambitions for how we want to embed diversity, equity, equality and inclusion (DEEI). The external environment is challenging, and for many – including our team and the communities we work with, navigating daily life feels more difficult and overwhelming than ever. We did some deep reflection on this as a leadership team and took some practical steps towards creating a safe, supportive and inclusive workplace. This included updating our partnership agreements to align with our values and ensure these are reflected in our work with others, working with our DEEI advisor, Be the Riot to offer anti-racism training and issuing a monthly wellbeing survey to take a temperature check of how the team is feeling. We also reviewed our service delivery models to ensure we’re being authentic and inclusive in how we build and deliver our programmes.

We undertook a full review of our policies and introduced a new anti-racism policy, new inclusive parenting leave policies, and a specific policy covering menopause. We’ve made good progress on improving the diversity of our board and team, with a specific target to increase representation from

different ages, social backgrounds and ethnicities. We have more work to do at leadership and team level to build a team that reflects our society.

A key learning point for us has been the need to commit to being fearless in having necessary but difficult conversations. We cannot guarantee we will always get it right, but we can commit to staying true to our values as we grow.

Capacity building for the future

We expanded our delivery teams further, recruiting into key roles that will support us as we begin to scale our programmes across the country. Bringing in new expertise has added fresh perspectives and knowledge, which is vital as we build a diverse team that will position us to deliver our ambitious plans to reach all children in the coming years.

Diversifying our income base

We’ve continued to grow our income, including from traded income. We’ve expanded our network of commissioning partners consisting of multi-academy and local authorities, and have been successfully delivering Chef Educator training across England and Wales. As well as building a strong pipeline for next financial year.

LOOKING AHEAD

Over the coming year, we’ll be busy assembling our closest friends, allies and partners to drive our mission forward so children all over the country have equal opportunity to eat, enjoy and learn about real food.

At a time when people are more reliant than ever on the services charities provide, and the fundraising landscape increasingly competitive, ensuring that we’re anchoring our growing organisation with sustainable income will be crucial as we move into this next phase of our evolution.

We have a window of opportunity over the coming year to bring school food to the public’s attention and initiate a revolution of children, parents and passionate advocates who believe that high quality, delicious and nutritious school food is what our children deserve. But we have to act now.

Kids are our future, let’s feed them like it.

scHog1 TRUSTEES REPORT 66

For the year ended 31 August 2025

The Trustees, who are also directors, present their Annual Report together with the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2025. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives

Our mission is to transform kids’ health through food – plate by plate, class by class, Transformations. We recruit chefs and train school kitchen teams to make tasty, exciting meals that kids enjoy, packed with fresh, nutritious produce. We support schools to embed good food culture, educating their students about food in the dining room and the classroom. We inspire and enable others to follow our lead, and we use our expertise to inform policy and campaigns that seek to tackle systemic barriers to progress.

Activities

We work to achieve change in three main ways:

Leading from the front to directly support schools to implement our philosophy and transform the standards of food and food education offered.
Enabling others to follow; developing and delivering training and resources for chefs, schools and caterers to improve food and food education. We seek to be a leading voice on school food; within the media, with decision-makers, schools and within the food industry, aiming to change the system at its roots to improve school food.
Inspiring the school food workforce; providing access to training, procurement, resources and peer support.

Public benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s objectives and activities and in planning future activities.

The principal activities of the charity during the year continued to be ‘to advance education in cookery and food preparation and to advance health through (but not limited to) the improvement of food standards in schools.

Volunteers

The charity received no contribution from volunteers during the year.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Fundraising

We remain incredibly grateful to all our funding partners and donors who help to ensure the ongoing success and sustainability of our work. Our Fundraising Policy outlines our ethical approach to fundraising activities. We carry out due diligence on prospective partners and will not work with funders who conflict with our mission or compromise our reputation.

Our fundraising strategy to date has focused on soliciting grants from Trusts and Foundations as well as a small number of companies. We are also growing our income from major donors, supported by bespoke fundraising events. We will always be honest about what we can achieve when asking for funds, submit realistic budgets, use the funds for the purpose intended and ensure that we provide any reports required, on time.

We do not engage in mass public fundraising, preferring a more targeted approach of developing meaningful relationships. We do not use any third-party fundraisers and have not received any fundraising complaints to date.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Income and expenditure

This year we achieved 93% of the previous years income. A significant portion of income in 2023-24 had been raised through a one off major fundraising event, so we were pleased to have largely maintained our income despite undeniably challenging economic circumstances. We have continued to build new funding partnerships and have also been successful in growing the level of trading income secured across all of our programmes, aligned with the objective of reducing our reliance on fundraising.

Trustees took the decision to designate surpluses from 2023-24 into organisational development, investing in additional staff and resources to support growing our impact and the launch of a major new membership programme with an annual conference - therefore our costs rose year on year. We continue to secure pro-bono support wherever possible, with donations in kind representing the most significant increase in our costs - almost 200% up on the previous year.

Total income amounted to £1,545,476 compared to £1,654,185 in the previous year. During the year the charity’s expenditure was £1,621,139 compared to £1,245,137 the previous year.

Trustees had planned for a deficit budget to account for utilising surplus funds from the previous year. The overall result for the year was a deficit of £75,663 compared to the surplus of £409,048 in 2024.

The restricted income of the charity is available only for the specific projects or purposes determined by the funders. During the year the charity received £345,806 of restricted income and spent £331,971.

Reserves policy

In accordance with its Articles of Association, Chefs in Schools holds free reserves to enable the charity to meet timing variations in income or unforeseen expenditure, to provide for contingencies or to cover core costs in the event of a shortfall in funding. Our Trustees regularly review the charity’s need for reserves in line with guidelines issued by the Charity Commission and the operating environment prevailing at that time. We aim to accumulate free reserves equal to three to six months’ unrestricted expenditure (after costs covered by restricted funds are deducted), which, per our annual budget, equates to £433,465 to £866,929 (2024: £405,000 to £809,000).

As at 31 August 2025, unrestricted funds, excluding fixed assets, were £657,667 and restricted funds of £204,208. Our unrestricted reserves consist of £657,667 free reserves. Our free reserves position at the end of the financial year is equivalent to 4.55 months expenditure (after costs covered by restricted funds are deducted) which is within our target holding.

Designated funds

The Trustees approved designating unrestricted funds for two specific projects in the previous year. £138,000 to support the continued development and launch of the Chefs Alliance Membership programme and £75,000 for further investment in organisational development, strengthening our ability to deliver impact at scale, through improved systems to boost our productivity and promotion of our programmes to increase uptake. Both projects were completed in the year and the underspend of £99,337 was transferred back to unrestricted funds.

Restricted funds were received to support our Transformations Programme, our Chef Educator Training Programme, The Membership Programme as well as core costs, enabling continued investment development of the Team at Chefs in Schools. The balance carried forward will be spent in the forthcoming and following financial year, fulfilling the purpose set out by funders in committing their financial support.

At 31 August 2025, restricted funds were £204,208 (2024: £190,373), details of which are set out in note 16.

Risk management

The Trustees apply a structured and proportionate approach to risk management to ensure Chefs in Schools remains resilient and able to deliver its charitable objectives. Key organisational risks are captured within a risk register, which is reviewed regularly by the Executive Team and subject to oversight and challenge from the Trustee Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee (ARAC). The register is reviewed quarterly by the full Board. The principal risks identified are:

Operational risk

Working in food environments carries inherent safety risks. This risk is mitigated through robust training of Chef Trainers, clear Standard Operating Procedures for on-site delivery, and regular review of compliance. Our partner schools remain responsible for food safety within their kitchens and are further supported by Chefs in Schools through access to best-practice guidance, training resources and digital monitoring tools, helping to strengthen their own safety cultures and systems.

Financial sustainability risk

Rising costs and sustained pressure on school budgets remain a key strategic risk. The Trustees monitor the pace of organisational growth against the charity’s financial position, ensuring that strategic expansion is balanced with the maintenance of adequate reserves and liquidity. Financial performance is monitored through regular review of cash flow, expenditure and management accounts.

Reputational risk

Reputational risk is managed through clear partner accountabilities and proactive senior management oversight. The charity maintains a defined incident escalation process, supported by external communications expertise when required. By combining clear expectations with practical support and quality monitoring, Chefs in Schools works with schools to uphold standards that protect both students and the charity’s reputation.

Going concern

In concluding that Chefs in Schools remains a going concern for at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements, the Trustees considered a range of specific factors relating to the charity’s financial position, operational plans and wider risk environment. This assessment was informed by detailed analysis from the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Executive, including up-to-date cashflow forecasts reflecting anticipated income from confirmed grants, contracted school partnerships and other secured funding. The Trustees also reviewed the expected timing of expenditure to ensure that delivery plans remain achievable within available resources, and that costmanagement measures introduced during the year continue to support financial resilience.

The Trustees examined the level and composition of the charity’s reserves, considering both the unrestricted funds available and the adequacy of these reserves in absorbing potential financial shocks. As part of the assessment, the SLT prepared downside scenarios exploring risks such as delays in expected income, lower-than-forecast fundraising, or increases in operating costs. Trustees evaluated these scenarios together with the mitigating actions available, including the ability to reprofile programme activity, pause or defer non-essential expenditure, and adjust delivery levels where required to safeguard the organisation’s financial sustainability.

Further considerations included the strength of the income pipeline, the depth of relationships with funders and schools, and the charity’s track record in securing

new funding and managing expenditure prudently. Throughout the year, the SLT provided regular updates to Trustees on cashflow, reserves, income risk and financial forecasts, supporting timely and informed decision-making. On the basis of this detailed review, and reflecting the information presented by both the Executive and SLT, the Trustees are satisfied that Chefs in Schools has adequate resources and realistic plans to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, and therefore consider the going concern basis of preparation to be appropriate.

Financial outlook and sustainability

Future financial planning is based on a detailed assessment of our long-term sustainability. Our financial strategy will focus on diversifying income streams and building unrestricted reserves. Our budgeted expenditure includes planned investments in increased regional delivery capacity and development of a major new public facing resource hub. The Board’s commitment to ensuring the longterm viability of the charity is reflected in its policy on reserves, which currently stands at three to six months of expenditure.

PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS

The charity’s strategic focus for the upcoming year remains anchored in our core mission: the transformation of children’s health through food and expanding our impact in schools across the country. Our activities will be delivered through a strategic framework that concentrates on direct support to schools, inspiring and galvanising our sector and supporting policy frameworks through national engagement with policy makers.

Looking forward, the organisation is committed to achieving operational effectiveness and impact at scale. A key initiative for the financial year 2025/2026 is centred on the kick-off of an ambitious new programme to capitalise on the extension of free school meals as a turning point for school food quality. The funds allocated to this programme are anticipated to be 22% of the organisation’s overall budget.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Chefs in Schools is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 11 May 2018 and registered as a charity on 27 June 2018.

The company is governed under its Articles of Association. The Trustees have a responsibility to ensure that all aspects of the Charity’s activities are properly

conducted and carried out in full compliance with its Articles of Association. The Charity is governed by its Trustees who meet four times a year. All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Expenses totalling £133 were claimed by Trustees during the year.

Role of trustees

The Trustees provide governance and develop the key policies of the charity and accept ultimate legal authority for it. The board meets four times a year with a focus on strategic decision making, financial oversight and management of risk. The Trustees approve budgets and are responsible for the good stewardship of the charity’s resources. They work in partnership with the Chief Executive to help her achieve the charity’s objectives. The Trustees, who are also the members of the Company, each have a limited liability of £1 in the event of the charity being wound up.

The Trustees have one sub-committee, the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, chaired by Jasbir Notay. This committee reports quarterly to the Full Board who remain responsible collectively for all decisions.

Recruitment, induction, and ongoing training for trustees

The Board of Trustees is committed to ensuring its effectiveness and is ultimately responsible for regularly reviewing its membership composition. This review is undertaken to ensure the Trustees maintain the optimal mix of skills, experience, and diversity required to lead the charity and deliver on its strategic objectives, in line with its commitment to DEI.

Recruitment and selection

The recruitment process is designed to be fair and rigorous. Trustees undertake a regular skills review to assess current strengths and identify areas where new expertise is required, such as knowledge of the education sector or a background in finance. Vacancies are advertised through a variety of platforms and channels. The application process is focused on competencies and perspectives, with shortlisted candidates progressing to interviews conducted by the Chair, other Trustees, and the Chief Executive.

Induction and formal onboarding

All new Trustees are provided with a comprehensive set of information upon appointment, which includes essential documentation such as the Articles of Association, the latest Strategic Plan, and recent financial statements. To formalise their role, every new Trustee is required to complete a Declaration of Interests Notice, undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, review the charity’s governing documents, and formally sign the Charity Commission Trustee Declaration. Furthermore, all new Trustees are offered a dedicated orientation meeting with the Chief Executive and key members of the Senior Leadership Team to gain a deeper understanding of the charity’s operations.

Ongoing training and development

The Trustees remain committed to continuous learning. The effectiveness of the Trustees as a whole is reviewed every three years to ensure the structure, procedures, and training provisions remain optimal for the charity’s needs.

One third (or the number nearest one third) of the Trustees must retire at each AGM, those longest in office retiring first and the choice between any of equal service being made by drawing lots. A retiring Trustee who is eligible (as laid out in the terms of the Memorandum and Articles - Article 3.3) may be reappointed. There is no specific requirement in the articles to hold an AGM. The last AGM was held in October 2022.

Role of chief executive

Day-to-day decision making and responsibility for management of the charity, is delegated to a full time Chief Executive Officer.

The Chief Executive provides leadership to employees and is responsible for the operational detail and implementation of the business plan and the management of the charity, including control of expenditure in line with budgets and delegations approved by the Board. The Chief Executive reports regularly to the Trustees on progress against agreed priorities and objectives and seeks opportunities to expand and promote the organisation.

Key management remuneration

Key management personnel are considered to be the Senior Leadership Team. Remuneration for key management personnel is reviewed annually. Benchmarking data from across the sector is considered. Any recommended increases for the Chief Executive and Chief Innovations Officer are proposed by a Trustee Remuneration Committee to the wider full Trustee board for approval. Salary increases for the remaining Senior Leadership Team are decided by the Chief Executive.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Trustees

Henry Dimbleby Tamsin Cooper Thomasina Miers Jasbir Kaur Notay Karen Martin Melanie Neill Christina Adane Andre Bailey

Registered Company number

11356489 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1178964

Registered office

First Floor

River House 1 Maidstone Road Sidcup Kent DA14 5RH

Senior leadership team

Naomi Duncan – Chief Executive

Nicole Pisani – Chief Innovation Officer Alison McDade - Head of Finance & Systems (to Aug 25) Danielle Glavin - Head of Communications Laura Mumford – Director of Transformations (to Nov 24) Nikki Brookes - Co-Director of Partnerships & Impact Polly Praill – Co-Director of Partnerships & Impact Sam Phillips - Director of Programmes

Independent Auditor

Azets Audit Services

First Floor

River House 1 Maidstone Road Sidcup Kent DA14 5RH

Bankers

Coutts

440 Strand London WC2R 0QS

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP (FRS 102);
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, Charities Act 2011 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Statement as to disclosure of information to auditors

So far as the Trustees are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware, and each trustee has taken all the steps that he or she ought to have taken as a trustee in order to make himself or herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditors are aware of that information.

Approved by the Trustees on 2026 and signed on their behalf by: 18/05/

Henry Dimbleby Co-Chair of the Trustees

Tamsin Cooper Co-Chair of the Trustees

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CHEFS IN SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

`Opinion`

We have audited the financial statements of Chefs In Schools (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise Statement of Financial Activates, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 August 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice;
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006; and
have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP 2019.

`Basis for opinion`

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

`Conclusions relating to going concern`

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustee's use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CHEFS IN SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

`Other information`

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

`Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006`

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report and strategic report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the strategic report and the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

`Matters on which we are required to report by exception`

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CHEFS IN SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

`Responsibilities of trustees`

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

`Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements`

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CHEFS IN SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

`Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud`

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework. Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:

Enquiry of senior leadership, Trustees and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company through enquiry and inspection;
Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
Performing audit work over the recognition of grant income and the allocation of expenditure to funds;
Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE MEMBERS OF CHEFS IN SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

`Use of our report`

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

`Siobhan Holmes FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)`

For and on behalf of Azets Audit Services

First Floor River House 1 Maidstone Road Sidcup Kent DA14 5RH

`Date`

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Notes Income from: Donations 3 Charitable activities 4 Other trading activities Investments - Interest receivable Other income Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Total expenditure 5 Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted funds £ 582,698 607,924 525 8,523 - 1,199,670 105,303 1,183,865 1,289,168 (89,498) 747,165 657,667	Restricted funds £ 31,500 314,306 - - - 345,806 - 331,971 331,971 13,835 190,373 204,208	Total 2025 £ 614,198 922,230 525 8,523 - 1,545,476 105,303 1,515,836 1,621,139 (75,663) 937,538 861,875	Total 2024 £ 491,724 1,155,202 3,240 3,907 112 1,654,185 139,304 1,105,833 1,245,137 409,048 528,490 937,538

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

Notes Income from: Donations 3 Charitable activities 4 Other trading activities Investments - Interest receivable Other income Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Total expenditure 5 Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted funds £ 476,724 882,333 3,240 3,907 112 1,366,316 139,304 910,167 1,049,471 316,845 430,320 747,165	Restricted funds £ 15,000 272,869 - - 287,869 - 195,666 195,666 92,203 98,170 190,373	Total 2024 £ 491,724 1,155,202 3,240 3,907 112 1,654,185 139,304 1,105,833 1,245,137 409,048 528,490 937,538

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 AUGUST 2024

Company Registration No. 11356489

Notes Tangible fixed assets 10 Current assets Debtors 11 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 12 Net current assets Total net assets The funds of the charity Restricted funds 16 Unrestricted funds: Designated funds 15 General unrestricted fund 17	£ £ - 105,312 920,049 1,025,361 (163,486) 861,875 861,875 204,208 - 657,667 657,667 861,875 2025	£ £ 2,808 53,650 1,088,478 1,142,128 (207,398) 934,730 937,538 190,373 213,000 534,165 747,165 937,538 2024

The accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees on 18/05/2026 and signed on their behalf by:

Henry Dimbleby Co-Chair

Tamsin Cooper Co-Chair

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Cash flows from operating activities Net income for the year Adjustment for: Depreciation Interest received Decrease / (increase) in debtors Increase in creditors Net cash from operating activities Investing activities Interest received Purchase of tangible fixed assets Net cash from investing activities Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year Analysis of changes in net funds Cash	£ £ (75,663) 2,808 (8,523) (51,662) (43,912) (176,952) 8,523 - 8,523 (168,429) 1,088,478 920,049 1.Sep.24 £ 1,088,478 2025	£ £ 409,048 770 (3,907) (37,723) 86,731 454,919 3,907 (2,146) 1,761 456,680 631,798 1,088,478 Cash flows 31.Aug.25 £ £ (168,429) 920,049 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

1. Accounting Policies

1.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements

Chefs In Schools is governed under it Memorandum and Articles of Association. The address of the principal office can be found on page ��. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are set out in the Trustees Annual Report.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations but which has since been withdrawn.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The Trustees have considered relevant information, including the annual budget, forecast future cashflows and the impact of subsequent events In making their assessment.

1.3 Income

All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

1. Accounting Policies (continued)

1.3 Income (continued)

Income is recognised on notification of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the income and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

1.4 Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings:

Costs of raising funds are those costs incurred in attracting voluntary income;

Expenditure on charitable activities comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs allocated directly to such activities and support costs (see below).

Support costs

Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office and governance costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity and include project management carried out at Headquarters. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as an expense against the activity for which expenditure arose.

1.5 Funds accounting

Unrestricted general funds are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the Trustees.

Restricted funds are funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restriction arises when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

1. Accounting Policies (continued)

1.6 Taxation

The charity is registered and is therefore entitled to the exemptions from corporation tax afforded by section 505 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. Accordingly, there is no corporation tax charge in these financial statements.

1.7 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.8 Tangible fixed assets

Assets costing £1,000 or more are capitalised as tangible fixed assets and are carried at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Fixtures and fittings	- 20% reducing balance
Computer equipment	- 33% straight line

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset and is recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year.

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss.

1.9 Financial Instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

1. Accounting Policies (continued)

1.9 Financial Instruments (continued)

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised .

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

1. Accounting Policies (continued)

1.10 Employee benefits

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

1.11 Retirement benefits

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

2. Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The following judgements have been made in the process of applying the above accounting policies that have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements:

�ad de�ts

Debtors are regularly reviewed for recoverability, any debts which in the opinion of management are not recoverable are provided for as a specific bad debt. There are no key assumptions concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

3. Donations and legacies Donations Gift Aid Services in kind 4. Charitable activities Income: Lead Enable Inspire Core Grants: Lead Enable Inspire Core 5. Analysis of Expenditure Grant costs (Note 6) Current year £ Raising funds - Charitable activities: Lead 40,000 Enable - Inspire - 40,000	Staff costs (Note 9) £ 98,896 403,497 456,411 197,200 1,156,004	Unrestricted funds £ 420,741 18,902 143,055 582,698 Unrestricted funds £ 82,921 50,474 29,779 750 - - - 444,000 607,924 *Direct costs £ - 21,103 78,733 111,679 211,515	Restricted funds £ 31,500 - - 31,500 Restricted funds £ - - - - 103,500 122,330 33,000 55,476 314,306 Support costs (Note 7) £ 6,407 75,204 94,716 37,293 213,620	Total 2025 £ 452,241 18,902 143,055 614,198 Total 2025 £ 82,921 50,474 29,779 750 103,500 122,330 33,000 499,476 922,230 2025 Total £ 105,303 539,804 629,860 346,172 1,621,139	2024 £ 432,059 11,600 48,065 491,724 2024 £ 50,957 43,925 - 3,516 167,015 212,300 150,000 527,489 1,155,202 2024 Total £ 139,304 474,399 364,162 267,272 1,245,137

- These costs were provided on a pro bono basis and shown as services in kind in note 3 above : Raising Funds - £nil (2024: £23,000), Lead - £661 (2024: £265), Enable £21,780 (2024: £nil) and Inspire £72,100 (2024: £nil).

6. Grants payable - Institutions 2025 no. Hackney School of Food CIC 1	2025 2024 £ no. 40,000 1 40,000	2024 £ 60,000 60,000

See note 18 for details of grant awarded to Hackney School of Food CIC.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
||||| |---|---|---|---| |7.|Support costs|2025|2024| |£|£| ||Premises and depreciation|28,803|13,781| ||Professional services|59,930|43,131| ||Staff training and travel|31,824|14,859| ||Other support costs|79,288|56,024| |Governance costs:| |Audit fees|13,775|13,051| |Other governance costs|-|6,854| |213,620|147,700|

----- End of picture text -----

- These costs were provided on a pro bono basis and shown as services in kind in note 3 above : Advertising and promotion - £2,300 (2024: £3,920), Premises - £nil (2024: £2,280), Consultancy £875 (2024: £18,600), Staff training £3,000 (2024: £nil), Legal costs £39,983 (2024: £nil) and other support costs £2,356 (2024: £nil).

8. Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year. During the year ended 31 August 2025 1 trustee had travel expenses re-imbursed of £133 (2024 - 4 Trustees - £433).

9. Staff

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |Staff costs|2025|2024| |Staff costs during the year were:|£|£| |Wages and salaries|971,425|788,157| |Social security costs|97,291|79,250| |Pension costs|39,654|37,771| |Staff costs - employees|1,108,370|905,178| |Other staff costs|47,634|26,165| |Total staff expenditure|1,156,004|931,343|

----- End of picture text -----

Staff numbers

The average number of persons employed by the charity during the year was as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2025|2024| |Number|Number| |Staff|25|20|

----- End of picture text -----

Higher paid staff

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs and employer national insurance contributions) exceeded £60,000 was:

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |2025|2024| |Number|Number| |£60,001 - £70,000|1|1| |£70,001 - £80,000|-|1| |£80,001 - £90,000|1|-|

----- End of picture text -----

Key management personnel

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the Trustees and the senior leadership team. The total amount of employee benefits (including employer pension contributions and employer national insurance contributions) received by key management personnel for their services to the charity was £409,685 (2024 - £433,928).

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

10. Tangible fixed assets Cost At 1 September 2023 Additions At 31 August 2024 Depreciation At 1 September 2023 Depreciation At 31 August 2024 Net book value At 31 August 2024 At 31 August 2023 11. Debtors Trade debtors Other debtors Prepayments and accrued income	2025 £ 27,606 3,906 73,800 105,312	Computer equipment £ 4,321 - 4,321 1,513 2,808 4,321 - 2,808 2024 £ 17,943 4,681 31,026 53,650

Included in other debtors above are amounts failing due after one year of £2,500 (2024 - £1,406).

12. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors Other taxation and social security Other creditors Accruals and deferred income (Note 13) 13. Deferred income Deferred income is included within: Creditors due within one year Deferred income at 1 September Released from previous years Income deferred in the year Deferred income at 31 August	2025 £ 15,736 41,668 7,851 98,231 163,486 2025 £ 78,282 75,862 (75,862) 78,282 78,282	2024 £ 4,608 31,280 6,696 164,814 207,398 2024 £ 75,862 7,733 (7,733) 75,862 75,862

Included in deferred income is fees received in advance for services to be provided for in 2025/26.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

14. Retirement benefit schemes - Defined contribution scheme

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.

The charge to income and expenditure in respect of defined contribution schemes was £39,654 (2024: £37,771).

15. Designated funds CURRENT YEAR Organisational development Membership PRIOR YEAR Organisational development Membership 16. Restricted funds CURRENT YEAR Lead The Buffini Chao Foundation The Linbury Trust Riverford Other LEAD grants Total Lead Enable Hubbub Riverford William Jackson Food Group School Food Review Other ENABLE grants Total Enable Inspire Ennismore Foundation The Christopher & Henry Oldfield Trust Other INSPIRE grants Total Inspire Core Impact on Urban Health Nutritional Wellbeing Foundation Other CORE grants Total Core	Balance at 01 Sep 24 £ 75,000 138,000 213,000 Balance at 01 Sep 23 £ - - - Balance at 01 Sep 24 £ 10,978 44,302 1,574 10,608 67,462 - 40,535 34,795 300 11,166 86,796 - - 10,000 10,000 25,815 - 300 26,115 190,373	New designations £ - - - New designations £ 75,000 138,000 213,000 Income £ 20,000 25,000 50,000 10,000 105,000 54,000 20,000 - 38,330 20,000 132,330 30,000 20,000 3,000 53,000 - 50,000 5,476 55,476 345,806	Designations released £ (75,000) (138,000) (213,000) Designations released £ - - - Expenditure £ (5,978) (46,802) (17,574) (20,608) (90,962) (36,639) (40,535) (29,995) (33,140) (19,109) (159,418) (30,000) (20,000) - (50,000) (25,815) - (5,776) (31,591) (331,971)	Balance at 31 Aug 25 £ - - - Balance at 31 Aug 24 £ 75,000 138,000 213,000 Balance at 31 Aug 25 £ 25,000 22,500 34,000 - 81,500 17,361 20,000 4,800 5,490 12,057 59,708 - - 13,000 13,000 50,000 - 50,000 204,208

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

16. Restricted funds (continued)

��

This funding supported our School by School programme to help schools transform their food and food education. We help them to recruit and train chefs, develop menus and implement systems to manage their kitchen and embed meaningful food education.

In the prior year, this funding also supported a partnership between Chefs in Schools and the LEAP Federation of Schools to create a cookery school offering the local community in Hackney a range of courses to teach children and their families to grow and cook nutritious foods from scratch.

��

This funding supported the delivery of our School Chef Educator training programme for school chefs, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to feed kids well. It includes funding for a Senior Programme Manager supporting the School Food Review, a group of organisations working together to improve the school food system.

��

This funding supported the development of our Membership programme, which provides support and community for school chefs. This includes help for schools to source high quality ingredients at the best price.

��

This funding supported core staffing and overhead costs, enabling organisational development.

PRIOR YEAR Lead The Buffini Chao Foundation Fishmongers' Company Charitable Trust The Linbury Trust Other LEAD grants Total Lead Enable William Jackson Food Group Charlie Bigham's Riverford Other ENABLE grants Total Enable Inspire The Ampney Brook Foundation Other INSPIRE grants Total Inspire Core Impact on Urban Health Other CORE grants Total Core	Balance at 01 Sep 23 £ - - 40,000 12,841 52,841 22,229 - - 8,000 30,229 - - � 15,100 - 15,100 98,170	Income £ 20,000 35,000 35,000 29,515 119,515 27,300 20,000 50,000 (500) 96,800 30,000 10,000 40,000 15,000 16,554 31,554 287,869	Expenditure £ (9,022) (35,000) (30,698) (30,174) (104,894) (14,734) (12,090) (9,465) (3,944) (40,233) (30,000) - (30,000) (4,285) (16,254) (20,539) (195,666)	Balance at 31 Aug 24 £ 10,978 - 44,302 12,182 67,462 34,795 7,910 40,535 3,556 86,796 - 10,000 10,000 25,815 300 26,115 190,373

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

17. Analysis of net funds Current year Tangible Fixed Assets Current assets Current liabilities Prior year Tangible Fixed Assets Current assets Current liabilities	Unrestricted funds £ - 814,538 (156,871) 657,667 £ 2,808 736,518 (205,161) 534,165	Designated funds £ - - - - £ - 213,000 - 213,000	Restricted funds £ - 210,823 (6,615) 204,208 £ - 192,610 (2,237) 190,373	Total funds £ - 1,025,361 (163,486) 861,875 £ 2,808 1,142,128 (207,398) 937,538

18. Related Party Transactions

Hackney School of Food

The Hackney School of Food is a community cookery school and garden established in March 2020 by Chefs in Schools in partnership with the LEAP Federation (a group of three maintained primary schools in Hackney), to pioneer seed to spoon food education. The board of the CIC includes Naomi Duncan (Chief Executive of Chefs in Schools) and Melanie Neill (Chefs in Schools Trustee).

During the year:

a grant of £40,000 was awarded to the CIC to support costs as the Managing Director establishes a sustainable, independent financial footing (2024 - £60,000);
£nil was paid to hire the training kitchen and meeting room space (2024 - £6,054);

Amounts due to the Hackney School of Food at 31 August 2025 were £nil (2024: £60,000)

The Forward Institute

Tasmin Cooper (Chefs in Schools Trustee) is managing director of The Forward Institute.

During the year:

£nil was paid in connection with provision of a facilitator for the Chefs in Schools Strategy Day, and senior leadership development through participation in the Forward Institute exchange programme (2024 - £5,380).

Amounts due to the Forward Institute at 31 August 2025 were £nil (2024: £nil)

Donations

Total donations and donated services of £76,670 (2024 - £25,431) without conditions were received from trustees and related parties during the year. Included within the £76,670 was £74,400 of pro bono work from Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) where Karen Martin (Trustee of Chefs In School) is CEO of BBH London.

19. Company Limited by Guarantee

The Charity is limited by guarantee and accordingly has no share capital.

The liability guaranteed by each member is £1. The authorised membership of the company is unlimited. At 31 August 2025 the membership was 8 (2024: 8).

20. Operating leases

At 31 August 2025 the charity had a rolling contract with a 30 day notice period for £2,500 per month.

For more information about our work Please visit chefsinschools.org.uk

Chefs in Schools is a registered charity in England and Wales. Registered charity no. 1178964 Registered company number 11356489

2025-08-31-accounts

CONTENTS

WELCOME

A LANDMARK YEAR FOR SCHOOL FOOD

A place for community and connection

A team fit for the future

New horizons

Stronger together

OUR PURPOSE

2024/25 HIGHLIGHTS

OUR THREE CORE PILLARS OF WORK

LEAD

ENABLE

INSPIRE

WALES

WEST MIDLANDS

LONDON

SOUTH WEST

LEAD: DEEPENING IMPACT IN SCHOOLS

SCHOOL TRANSFORMATIONS

CASE STUDY

BEFORE

CHEF TRAINER SUPPORT 2

THE RESULTS

A NEW MENU

PRODUCE SWAPS

IMPROVED SYSTEMS & EFFICIENCY

UPF FREE SNACK TIME

UPTAKE INCREASE

Q&A WITH DELORA AND BEN

What changes have you seen in the way your kitchen team works and the food they serve?

The team is really happy and engaged

Have the students said anything about the changes?

Any specific stories about trying new foods?

Have parents or the wider community noticed a difference?

Have you introduced initiatives related to sustainability, food waste reduction, or growing produce?

Why does school food matter to you personally? What would you say to a headteacher who thinks it doesn’t matter?

Why did London Academy choose to partner with Chefs in Schools? Has it met your expectations?

Have there been any financial benefits to working with Chefs in Schools?

INNOVATION

Snack pilots in secondary schools

Piloting new breakfast models – the breakfast toolkit

Procurement

ENABLE: STRENGTHENING TRAINING, POLICY INFLUENCE AND SYSTEM DISRUPTION

TRAINING THE KITCHEN TEAM WORKFORCE

OUR YEAR IN COMMS

In the news

Our channels

INFLUENCING & CAMPAIGNING

What are parents saying?

ENABLING WIDESPREAD CHANGE

INSPIRE: THE MEMBERSHIP

Chefs in Schools’ inaugural Conference

PARTNERSHIPS & IMPACT

INCOME

EXPENDITURE

IMPACT

OUTCOME 1

School kitchen teams are motivated, recognised and driving whole-school cultural change.

Schools are inspired to drive for improvement and empowered to do so, and policymakers see school food as a priority.

75%

Diversity, Equity, Equality and Inclusion

Capacity building for the future

Diversifying our income base

LOOKING AHEAD

For the year ended 31 August 2025

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives

Activities

Public benefit

Volunteers

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Fundraising

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Income and expenditure

Reserves policy

Designated funds

Risk management

Operational risk

Financial sustainability risk

`Opinion`

`Basis for opinion`

`Conclusions relating to going concern`

`Other information`

`Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006`

`Matters on which we are required to report by exception`

`Responsibilities of trustees`

`Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements`

`Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud`

`Use of our report`

`Siobhan Holmes FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)`

`Date`