Chartwells, Tesco and BNF launch playful food campaign to boost children's fruit and veg intake

Chartwells has collaborated with Tesco and the British Nutrition Foundation to make healthy eating more appealing for children through a new playful campaign centred on a fruit and veg challenge, aiming to combat low fruit and vegetable consumption among school-aged children.

Chartwells Schools has teamed up with Tesco and the British Nutrition Foundation for the first time on a campaign aimed at encouraging younger children to eat more fruit and vegetables by making healthy food feel playful rather than prescriptive. The partnership centred on Tesco’s Giant Fruit & Veg Challenge, which invited children across the UK to devise fruit-and-veg-rich dishes, with the winning recipe then adapted for use in Chartwells-served schools. According to Chartwells, the aim is to give pupils positive food experiences early in life and to support healthier habits through school lunches and food education.

The winning dish, Swamp Monster’s Crunchy Eyeball Jelly, was created by 10-year-old Khalessi McKay, a pupil at Pinfold Street Primary School in Walsall. Chartwells said the recipe, which included kiwi, blueberries and cucumber, was adjusted so it could be prepared in school kitchens while still meeting school food standards, nutritional guidance and portion control requirements. The company has also been building out its wider food education work through its Beyond The Chartwells Kitchen programme, which includes hands-on activities designed to help children understand nutrition and become more open to different cuisines.

The campaign lands against a backdrop of concern about children’s diets. Tesco said research it commissioned found only one in ten UK children eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables on a typical school day. In the same research, most parents said children were more willing to try fruit and vegetables when meals were made fun and visually appealing. Government school food guidance recommends regular daily servings of fruit and vegetables, including at least one portion of each every day and a variety across the week.

Tesco has been expanding its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme alongside the challenge. The retailer said the initiative is intended to reach one million schoolchildren by July 2029, while company impact reporting showed that in the 2024/25 academic year it funded 411 schools and delivered 10.8 million portions of fresh produce to 137,345 pupils. Tesco said the project is designed to support nutrition, particularly in areas with higher eligibility for free school meals, while helping children build a more positive relationship with healthy food.