In May 2025, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council introduced an enhanced primary school lunchtime menu, designed to meet the Welsh Government’s Healthy Eating in Schools Regulations and to support the long‑term health and wellbeing of pupils in line with the Healthy Weight : Healthy Wales agenda.
The refreshed menu ensures every pupil can access a nutritious, balanced hot meal each day, promoting healthy eating habits, sustaining energy levels, and helping pupils remain focused and engaged in their learning. This development reflects the Council’s continued commitment to delivering high‑quality Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) across all primary school settings.
Taste‑Testing Passport Sessions
To help raise awareness of the updated primary school menu and encourage increased uptake of the new options, the School Catering Dietitians have hosted a series of pupil taste‑tester sessions across primary schools. These interactive sessions help pupils and their parents/carers to sample and explore a range of new menu options in a positive engaging way, building excitement and supporting increased confidence when choosing school meals.
During the taste‑tester sessions, a wide range of dishes were offered to pupils and parents/carers, including favourites such as bubble salmon, potato wedges, and banana flapjacks, along with many other options from the refreshed menu. The full menu can be viewed here
The sessions were run in the style of a fun “Taste Tester Passport” activity, where pupils and parents/carers worked their way through a selection of dishes and stamped their passports with the appropriate smiley‑face rating. Each pupil received a special passport and stickers to record their views and by the end, there was no shortage of green smiley faces!
Parents/carers told us they were delighted to see their usually selective eaters trying such a wide range of foods, with some even asking for the recipes to recreate dishes at home.
Mrs Linsey Owens, Head Teacher at Cwm Clydach Primary School said:
Following a decline in pupil uptake of free school meals after the introduction of a new menu, we organised a menu tasting session in collaboration with RCT catering services. Feedback from pupils and parents indicated that many children were put off by the descriptions of certain dishes—such as bubble salmon fillet, veggie curry, and tuna pasta—and opted for packed lunches instead.
To address this, the tasting session was promoted through Seesaw, social media, and our weekly newsletter, with particular outreach to families who had raised concerns. The event was well attended by pupils, parents, staff, and governors. A wide range of dishes were available, including those pupils had previously avoided. It was encouraging to see children trying new meals and even more rewarding to hear their positive reactions. Parents praised the presentation and flavour of the food and were impressed by how well their children responded, enabling them to better support daily meal choices.
The session also provided an opportunity to discuss the recent menu changes with parents, explaining the reasoning behind these adjustments in line with legislation and government guidelines. Parents left with a clearer understanding of the need for these changes, which has helped reduce complaints about menu alterations and the removal of cold options.
Children enjoyed completing their tasting passports and discussing their preferences with staff, which has helped them make informed choices each morning.
A huge thank you to catering services in RCT for organising a successful event to support the roll out of the new menu.
Gareth Thomas, Food in Schools Manager for Welsh Local Government Association attended a Taster Session at Pontygwaith Primary School and felt that these sessions were of real benefit to both pupils and their parents/carers:
Speaking with the catering and school staff at the taster session, and seeing parents and pupils enjoying the food and activities, made it clear that the hard work put into the menu changes work is really paying off. With such a supportive and proactive approach, I’m sure the take‑up of healthy school meals will continue to grow.
Supporting All Learners, including ALN Pupils
The Council recognises that some pupils, including those with Additional Learning Needs, medical or sensory‑related food challenges, may require reasonable adjustments. Our School Catering Dietitians and catering teams are able to accommodate these requirements and provide suitable, safe alternatives where needed.
Parents/carers can inform us of any dietary or sensory needs by completing the online form available here. This ensures schools and catering teams receive the necessary information to put appropriate reasonable adjustments in place.
Food Waste and Healthy Eating Education
Some parents/carers have raised questions about food waste. While food waste exists in all school meal systems, research evidence demonstrates that regularly exposing children to fruit and vegetables increases acceptance over time, helping reduce plate waste in the long term. The new primary menu also plates the full Universal Primary Free School Meal offer, ensuring pupils receive a nutritional balanced meal.
Meal Options and Daily Choice
Each day, pupils are offered three main meal options, including:
- A meat‑based hot meal
- A vegetarian hot meal
- A jacket potato option
In addition to this, children are offered a choice of salad, fruit, yoghurt, milk and bread daily.
Universal Primary Free School Meals are designed to provide a hot, nutritious meal, which for some pupils may be their most substantial meal of the day. This is why rolls, wraps and sandwiches are not part of the core offer, although additional bread remains available alongside meals.
Building Healthy Habits for Life
The updated menu supports the wider educational goal of teaching pupils about nutrition and healthy choices from an early age. Establishing these habits in primary school helps set the foundation for lifelong wellbeing.
Why the Menu Has Changed
The changes are not part of a cost‑cutting exercise. They are driven by:
- Compliance with Welsh Government Healthy Eating in Schools Nutritional Standards
- A commitment to improving children’s health and wellbeing
- Feedback from schools, pupils and catering teams
- The need to provide a consistent, equitable offer across all primary settings
A Continued Commitment to Quality
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council will continue to review the menu, gather feedback and work with schools, families and pupils to ensure the offer remains nutritious, appealing and inclusive.
Councillor Sharon Rees, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, said:
We are committed to ensuring that every child in Rhondda Cynon Taf has access to healthy, nutritious meals that support their growth, wellbeing and ability to learn. The introduction of our enhanced primary school menu reflects both national guidance and our local ambition to foster positive lifelong eating habits. It is encouraging to see pupils and families engaging so positively with the new offer, and we will continue working closely with schools to ensure our meals remain appealing, inclusive and of the highest quality. The refreshed menu ensures every pupil can access a nutritious, balanced hot meal each day, promoting healthy eating habits, sustaining energy levels, and helping pupils remain focused and engaged in their learning. This development reflects the Council’s continued commitment to delivering high quality Universal Primary Free School Meals across all primary school settings.
Posted on 30/06/2026