Soil Association ranks restaurant chains serving ‘ultra processed foods’

Some UK restaurant chains may be “misleading or even ripping parents off” by serving ready meals and ultra-processed menus to children, the Soil Association claims.

 

The agricultural charity believes that meals “are rarely being prepared and cooked on site using fresh ingredients”, claiming that pre-made pasta sauces are being warmed up at restaurants like Bella Italia, Prezzo and TGI Fridays.

 

Using secret diner families, the Soil Association’s ‘Out to Lunch campaign’ ranked chains in a league table according to health, sustainability and dining experience. It found many dishes it classed as unhealthy, including sugary desserts, “problematic” additives, plus ultra-processed and low welfare meat.

 

Fulham Shore’s Franco Manca was bottom of the league table for not serving enough vegetables to children and for declining to share details on its sourcing and preparation practices with parents or the Soil Association.

 

But due to pressure from the parents taking part in the study, some of the restaurants in the Soil Association’s league table have made a pledge to report on ultra-processed ingredients in their kitchens – for the first time.

 

This includes Mexican chain Wahaca and pub group JD Wetherspoon, which topped the league table in recognition of their efforts to provide more freshly prepared and healthy options for children. Others participating in the pledge are Zizzi, Carluccio’s, Toby Carvery, Harvester and Leon.

 

Wahaca’s co-founder Thomasina Miers told The Caterer: “I am immensely proud that Wahaca has topped the Soil Association’s children’s food awards. It is great to see that grilling free-range chicken to order, prepping guacamole daily and using Riverford organic produce has cut through the noise of chicken nuggets and chips.

 

“I love that at Wahaca children can build their own tacos and learn how things like citrus make such a big impact on seasoning. We shall continue working on our kids’ menu alongside our main menu because we whole-heartedly believe in bringing up a nation of children who love food and flavour.”

 

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “Wetherspoon is proud to have been ranked number two in the Out to Lunch league table as well as being the leading pub chain.

 

“We strive to offer children’s meals which are both tasty and nutritious, which is good news for the children as well as their parents.”

 

New York Italian cuisine brand Frankie & Benny’s, owned by Big Table Group, was ranked fifth out of 20 in the list. A spokesperson for the chain said: “We are proud to be ranked among the top five UK restaurants for providing fresh, high-quality children’s meals.

 

“We take great pride in offering dishes that are made with fresh ingredients, ensuring that our younger guests enjoy healthy and delicious New York Italian food. We are committed to driving innovation in the kitchen, working hard to maintain the highest standards and provide the best dining experience for families that Frankie & Benny’s is famous for.

 

“Fresh, tasty food is at the heart of everything we do, and we’ll keep evolving and improving to meet the needs of our customers.”

 

Soil Association senior policy officer Oona Buttafoco sympathised with restaurant chains facing significant cost pressures, but added: “We’re concerned that some chains may be misleading, or even ripping parents off by essentially serving ready meals. This often isn’t what parents think they are paying for, and it’s concerning when ultra-processed foods are dominating British children’s diets.

 

“It’s not all bad news though. A handful of chains are doing brilliantly, serving freshly prepared, responsibly sourced, healthy and tasty food, as well as providing transparency on ingredient sourcing – and all this at a reasonable price.”

 

The Soil Association’s Out to Lunch league table

Rank	Restaurant	Soil Association’s score out of 100 for health, sustainability and dining experience
1	Wahaca	71
2	JD Wetherspoon	66
3	Harvester	57
4	Nando’s	53
5	Frankie & Benny’s	51
= 6	Wagamama	50
= 6	Zizzi	50
8	Carluccio’s	49
9	Toby Carvery	48
= 10	Leon	47
= 10	Hungry Horse	47
= 10	Prezzo	47
13	Brewers Fayre	46
14	TGI Fridays	43
15	Bella Italia	39
16	McDonald’s	38
17	Pizza Express	37
18	KFC	35
19	Pizza Hut	34
20	Franco Manca	15

 

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