New brand created in collaboration with secondary school pupils
Despite efforts from chefs like Jamie Oliver and Henry Dimbleby’s School Food Plan, school caterers are facing exceptionally difficult challenges when it comes to feeding secondary school pupils, from rising food and energy costs to shortages and substitutions in the supply chain – with serious consequences.
Children skip school meals because of unappealing food and long queues, impacting academic performance, physical development and mental health, and increasing food waste.
Determined to deliver healthy lunches that pupils would choose to eat, Alliance in Partnership challenged Without to reinvent school food and reestablish dining rooms as the focal point of school communities.
The result is The Kitcheneers, a category-defying approach to school food that started, not with governors and suppliers, but with today’s pupils. Whilst the project encompasses the whole branding experience – naming, identity, communication and digital channels – it was menu design that proved crucial to the strategy behind the new brand: Without invited students – the people who matter – into their own kitchens.
Without’s holistic approach meant starting with the food. Researching and workshopping with students at AIP kitchens showed that many were suspicious of ‘hidden ingredients’ in common one-tray dishes like curries and stews. This reduced trust and willingness to experiment, and increased food waste. Instead, Without encouraged a simple, ‘brilliant basics’ approach: good quality proteins, supplemented with customisable sides that allowed students to personalise dishes according to taste, allergies or belief.
This ‘modular’ approach became the brand’s philosophy, inspiring everything from the name, to visual identity and tone of voice. The Kitcheneers is about collaboration – between pupils, teachers, parents, chefs and suppliers
The visual identity was also influenced by research showing that today’s students are motivated by high street brands that make life simple; who take their mission seriously, but not themselves. In response, the Kitcheneers took a confident but approachable tone that brings authority and energy into typically generic dining halls.
Once-empty walls now feature posters with new messaging that is led by student interests, like the environment and ethical ingredients, in a contemporary and relatable way. Likewise, the typography was chosen to be hard-to-ignore and easy-to-digest, helping students make decisions ahead of time and reducing queues and congestion.
Food photography was inspired by the student’s favourite high street brands, alongside stickers and sustainable packaging for meals on-the-go.
James Mundy, Marketing Director for Schools: “The Kitcheneers is here to raise the bar and provide students with the level of care they deserve. Without instantly recognised the scale and severity of the challenge, and their work has been critical in bringing the brand’s values to life across every touchpoint. We’re excited for the future and the difference this work will make across the country.”
Roly Grant, Founder, Without: “This was a chance to help solve a really important problem. Most school food is commissioned by the grown-ups. By starting with students – inviting them into the kitchen and asking what and how they wanted to eat – we began to understand barriers and opportunities. Combining this with our experience of high street brands, we were able to create a simple, modular offer that allows students to balance exploration with personal preference, communicated with opinion and positivity.”
Following a successful trial, The Kitcheneers will be in 50 schools across the United Kingdom by the end of 2024. It will have a social presence too, as well as an app to further support students.
Source: Without
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