Dolce Schools Catering has been named in the top three of the ProVeg UK Contract Caterer Ranking 2025/26, cementing its position as one of England’s most plant-forward and planet-friendly school caterers.
Now in its second year, ProVeg UK’s Contract Caterer Ranking recognises contract caterers that put health and sustainability at the heart of their school food offer. Caterers are assessed on the promotion of plant-based foods, the quantity and quality of plant-based dishes, and the transparency and communication of sustainable, plant-based options across their menus and websites.
Dolce’s top-three placing builds on an already strong track record with ProVeg UK. The caterer currently holds two School Plates Silver Awards for both its primary and secondary menus, reflecting its ongoing work to promote more sustainable choices and increase the availability and appeal of plant-based and vegetarian dishes in schools.
A core part of Dolce’s approach is its thoughtfully designed, plant-forward menu. Two dedicated plant-rich days each week – ‘Tasty Tuesday’ and ‘Try it Thursday’ – encourage pupils to explore new flavours, while 55% of the overall menu is plant-based, with vegetarian and vegan options placed at the very top of menus every day and clearly labelled.
Neil Price, Head of Food Services at Dolce Schools Catering, said: “We work hard on our menu offerings at Dolce, with an increased interest in plant-based meals in our schools. Our ProVeg-ranked menus now have the plant-based options at the very top of the menu, which really helps parents and pupils choose these dishes first.
“Across all of our menus, we have good plant-based options available every day. We focus on hearty, homemade dishes that will appeal to pupils and stand up well against their traditional counterparts including Ultimate Tomato Sauce Pasta, Creole Style Jambalaya and Planet-friendly Spaghetti Bolognese.
“After listening to feedback, we’ve also made small tweaks to existing dishes to open them up to more pupils, including plant-based pizzas every week, a hearty Tomato Pasta Bake and Butternut Squash Wellington. We also offer plant-based yoghurts, sorbets and ice creams where required, and all beef dishes on our primary menus include added plant protein, reducing overall beef content while maintaining taste and quality.”
Alex Jemison, Awards & Engagement Manager at ProVeg UK, added: “The rankings are incredibly important to acknowledge all of the hard work being done by school contract caterers to bring about food system change, to fuel children with food that prioritises their health and sustainability. We’re so happy to see Caterlink, ISS and Dolce in the top spots and to be able to celebrate their successes.”
Dolce Schools Catering continues to work closely with schools and partners such as ProVeg UK to evolve its menus, helping pupils enjoy balanced, nutritious meals that support both their wellbeing and the planet.
To find out more please visit www.dolce.co.uk
