Lidl GB has today announced a major expansion of its free education programme in schools, offering direct funding to teachers and extending nutritional learning across the entire primary school journey.
To help teachers bring fresh produce into the classroom, the discounter is providing £150,000 worth of digital gift cards throughout the school year. Each worth £100, the vouchers will allow primary school teachers to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables for hands-on tasting sessions.
Initially introduced for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils, the Lidl Foodies programme is also now rolling out new materials for children aged 8 to 11. Teachers will gain free access to ready-to-use, 20-minute lesson plans, interactive classroom activities, and digital guides focusing on three vital new topics: sustainable farming, reducing food waste, and the Planetary Health Diet.
The expansion follows strong adoption of the Lidl Foodies programme, which now features in a quarter of all primary schools in Great Britain and has been backed by over £1 million in Lidl funding to date. To make the materials as accessible as possible for both teachers and parents, Lidl has now launched a dedicated healthy eating hub hosting all free teaching tools and grant application details.
The rollout comes against a backdrop of ongoing challenges in youth food education. Research conducted by Lidl earlier this year1 highlighted widespread confusion among young people, revealing that nearly one in five (19%) children believe tomato ketchup and strawberry milkshakes count toward their five-a-day, while over a fifth (22%) think broccoli is produced in a factory or harvested from a freezer.
Georgina Hall, director of corporate affairs at Lidl GB, said: “Getting children excited about fresh, healthy food starts with practical experience in the classroom. Having already invested more than £1 million to reach a quarter of British primary schools, we know how powerful hands-on learning can be, but we need to do more. By putting £150,000 directly into the hands of teachers for classroom tasting sessions and opening up our resources to older primary pupils, we’re helping schools build positive, lifelong food habits for the next generation.”
Farming and Food Minister Stephen Morgan MP said: “Teaching children to understand where their food comes from and having confidence to make healthy choices is vital for building healthier communities. It’s great to see initiatives like this one helping more children discover and enjoy fresh, nutritious food.”
The expansion supports Lidl GB’s broader target to reach 35% of all British primary schools by July 2027 under its ‘Better Futures’ community commitment.
Teachers and schools can apply for one of the 1,500 fresh food gift cards – worth £100 – and access the free educational resources via the new Lidl Foodies website: http://lidlfoodies.co.uk .
