Lidl offers 1,500 £100 vouchers for UK primary school food lessons

The retailer is putting £150,000 towards classroom tasting activities as its free Lidl Foodies program expands to children aged 8–11 across Great Britain

Lidl GB is offering 1,500 £100 vouchers to help primary school teachers purchase fresh produce for classroom food-tasting activities

Primary school teachers across Great Britain can apply for one of 1,500 £100 Lidl gift cards to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables for classroom lessons, as the supermarket expands its Lidl Foodies education program to older primary students.

The £150,000 initiative will fund hands-on food-tasting sessions, while introducing new teaching materials covering nutrition, sustainable farming and food waste.

The vouchers are intended specifically for purchasing fresh produce for classroom activities, rather than providing unrestricted funding to schools. They will be distributed throughout the school year, with applications and free educational resources available through a newly launched Lidl Foodies website.

Previously aimed at Year 1 and Year 2, the program is now extending to children aged 8–11. The expansion takes Lidl's total investment in Foodies beyond £1 million, with the retailer reporting that the initiative is already used in a quarter of primary schools across Great Britain.

New lessons tackle food waste, farming and nutrition

Teachers will gain access to free, ready-to-use 20-minute lesson plans, interactive classroom activities and digital guides covering three additional topics: sustainable farming, reducing food waste and the Planetary Health Diet.

The £100 vouchers are designed to complement these resources by funding practical tasting sessions, giving students opportunities to explore fresh produce alongside classroom learning about healthy eating and food production.

Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB, says: "Getting children excited about fresh, healthy food starts with practical experience in the classroom."

The expansion also follows research commissioned by Lidl that identified gaps in children's understanding of food and nutrition.

A Censuswide survey of 1,000 children aged 8–11 and their parents across Great Britain found that 19% of children believed tomato ketchup and strawberry milkshakes counted toward their five-a-day. A further 22% thought broccoli was produced in a factory or harvested from a freezer.

The research was conducted between 16 and 26 June 2026. While the findings offer a snapshot of children's food knowledge, they do not measure the effectiveness of the existing Lidl Foodies lessons.

Lidl targets 35% of British primary schools by July 2027

The expanded resources and classroom vouchers form part of Lidl GB's Better Futures community commitment, under which the retailer aims to increase Foodies' reach from a quarter of British primary schools to 35% by July 2027.

Farming and Food Minister Stephen Morgan MP welcomed the initiative, saying: "Teaching children to understand where their food comes from and having confidence to make healthy choices is vital for building healthier communities."

The supermarket has brought the teaching materials and voucher application details together in a dedicated healthy eating hub, providing a single access point for teachers and schools.

Applications for the 1,500 £100 fresh food gift cards are available through lidlfoodies.co.uk, alongside the free lesson plans and classroom resources.

ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 open for entries

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 are now open for entries, with 26 categories recognising companies, institutions, projects and individuals making a measurable impact across education technology. The global awards span AI in education, digital learning, higher education, skills and workforce, inclusion, education operations, evidence and impact, with entries managed through ETIH’s new online awards platform.

Entries are open worldwide, with the early-bird deadline on Friday 18 December 2026 and the final entry deadline on Friday 26 February 2027 at 23:59 UK time. 

Explore the 2027 categories and judging criteria, read the How to Enter guide or start an entry through the ETIH Innovation Awards 2027 platform.