UK: Investigation into children’s menus

The Out To Lunch report includes 21 restaurants in the UK, from multinational fast food chains to celebrity restaurants and ranks them in how well they provide the overall experience to families. The findings have been compiled following extensive research which began in January 2013, including a study of over 2,000 parents.

Jamie’s Italian, Wagamama and Wetherspoon’s ranked highest, and Burger King, KFC and Prezzo have scored the least points on a league table. Some of the main findings of the report (also see picture) were that post horsegate, only one chain could reliably tell parents where their meat comes from. Almost half of restaurants do not offer vegetables or salad with a majority of their children’s main meals. 

Twelve out of the 21 restaurants and pubs have children’s menus dominated by nuggets, burgers and sausages. Eight out of 21 chains don’t include vegetables or salad in the majority of their children’s main meals. Only eleven out of 21 chains were willing to reveal if their food was freshly cooked and where it comes from. Of the eleven, only four were making and cooking the majority of their children’s food in the kitchen. Only  two chains offer a children’s drinks menu free from added sugar and sweeteners.

In line with the research, Out to Lunch has issued a league table ranking the 21 restaurants and pubs to show the industry and consumers what chains are offering children. A detailed insight into the Out to Lunch league table as well as further information is available here: www.soilassociation.org/outtolunch