The Kitcheneers
The relationship between our food, our health, and our planet has never been clearer. But when it comes to feeding the next generation, our state schools lag behind.
The Kitcheneers is a category-defying approach to school food that starts, not with governors and suppliers, but with today’s students.
MADE FOR STUDENTS
Today’s situation has serious consequences: kids skip school meals because of unappealing food and long queues, impacting academic performance, physical development and mental health, and increasing food waste.
Encompassing naming, brand identity, communication, digital channels and, crucially, menu design, The Kitcheneers is a category-defying approach to school food that started, not with governors and suppliers, but with today’s students.
SAUCE ON THE SIDE? NO PROBLEM.
Starting with the food, our research with students showed that many were suspicious of ‘hidden ingredients’ in one-tray dishes like curries and stews. Not only did this reduce trust and willingness to experiment, it increased food waste. We 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.
VARIETY AND CUSTOMISATION WITHOUT ADDING COMPLEXITY
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 students, teachers, parents, chefs and suppliers – leading to something simple, friendly, and customisable.
MADE FOR GEN-Z / ALPHA ATTITUDES
Today’s students are motivated by highstreet brands that make life simple; who take their mission seriously, but not themselves. In response, The Kitcheneers brings a more confident tone into typically generic dining halls, along with new messaging led by student interests, like the environment and ethical ingredients.
INSPIRED BY THE HIGH STREET
Food photography was inspired by the student’s favourite highstreet brands, alongside stickers and sustainable packaging for meals on-the-go. Typography was chosen to be hard-to-ignore and easy-to-digest, helping students make decisions ahead of time and reducing queues and congestion.
