About Please Sir, I Want Some More: Revolutionising What Kids Eat
For too long school dinners have been the butt of jokes about their bland, unhealthy and questionable content. Schools across the UK have tiny budgets to feed children, and with a daily budget of as little as £2.53 per child, the pressure on schools has grown as costs have increased amid what The Lancet calls the growing 'seismic threat' of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A 2022 report found that almost two-thirds of calories in school meals came from UPFs.
Many schools choose to outsource their meals services to catering companies who, some argue, prioritise profits over nutrition. Yet an increasingly vocal group of chefs, cooks and organisations are fighting back and ensuring the growing minds are nourished to maximise their potential. From sneaking chicken livers into ragu, whole-carcass butchery and using only coconut sugar, the dishes sound more like restaurant menus than state school sustenance – but this is only just the beginning.
With school food innovator and cook Maisie McBagley, award-winning chef and sustainability driven restaurateur Chantelle Nicholson and psychologist, author and broadcaster Kimberley Wilson.
Part of the Food Season Big Weekend over Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June. Take advantage of our In-Person Big Weekend Multi-Session Discounts by booking more than one session for the Big Weekend.
Your support
The British Library is a charity. Your support helps us open up a world of knowledge and inspiration for everyone. Please consider adding a donation to your basket.
Maisie McBagley
Maisie McBagley is the Founder and Managing Director of The Great Plate
More
Maisie McBagley is the Founder and Managing Director of The Great Plate, a values-led school catering company serving primary schools across Gloucestershire. Recognised in the WISE100 for two consecutive years for her impact and leadership, she is passionate about creating nourishing, thoughtful food for children while building resilient teams and sustainable systems. Beyond schools, Maisie’s speciality is baking on live fire, bringing bold, interactive open-flame cooking experiences to events across the UK, where skill, creativity, and a love of fire combine to delight and inspire.
Chantelle Nicholson
Chantelle Nicholson is a multi-award-winning chef, restaurateur, and passionate advocate for a more conscious way of dining.
More
As chef-owner of Apricity in London – awarded a Green Michelin Star – she champions regeneration and circularity, weaving seasonality, locality, and a people-first ethos into every aspect of her kitchen and dining room. Her cooking is as joyful as it is thoughtful, designed to nourish both guests and the planet.
Kimberley Wilson
Kimberley Wilson is a Chartered Psychologist, author and broadcaster specialising in whole-body mental health.
More
A former Governor of the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust, she now works in private practice and lectures internationally. Kimberley is the author of How to Build a Healthy Brain and Unprocessed, host of BBC Sounds Complex and co-host of Radio 4’s Made of Stronger Stuff. She has also hosted Stronger Minds and Audible’s Hack Your Body, Heal Your Mind, and is a regular guest on major platforms including BBC Radio 4’s What’s Up, Docs?, BBC One’s Morning Live and Davina’s Begin Again.
Food Season Big Weekend discounts
In Person Multi-Session Discounts
For the Food Season Big Weekend 2026, we’re introducing a new in-person multi-session discount to help more of you experience a wider range of sessions.
The more Big Weekend sessions you book, the more you save:
- book 3 or more sessions and receive 20% off your total booking
- book 5 or more sessions and receive 30% off your total booking.
Please add all your sessions to your basket and then these discounts will be applied at check out.
Standard concession rates will continue to apply as usual.
About Food Season 2026
The British Library Food Season returns for its seventh year, bringing together some of the most influential names in food, drink, hospitality, literature and science, for a series of events that highlight the stories, the politics and the people behind how and why we eat. Discover more Food Season events.
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, half-price tickets for students and under 26s, free entry for carers as well as a number of other concessions.
Attending your events
Please note that this event takes place in the Piazza Pavilion on the piazza of the British Library, London.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
