#31 Feeding Performance: Balancing Nutrition, Waste and Cost in Schools - John Murphie, ISBA

Season 4, Episode 3 - John Murphie, Former COO, ISBAIn this episode of Food Service Matters, Patrick sits down with John Murphie, former Chief Operating Officer at the Independent Schools Bursars Association (ISBA).John brings decades of operational experience to his work supporting more than 1,300 independent schools across the UK. One of the key themes throughout the conversation is the challenge of feeding both students and staff in a way that balances quality, nutrition and enjoyment. Schools are increasingly looking for ways to ensure that food not only tastes good, but also supports concentration, wellbeing and overall performance.John also highlights how many schools are successfully making improvements in reducing salt and sugar, demonstrating that healthier options don’t have to come at the expense of taste or satisfaction.Sustainability is another major focus of the discussion. For bursars, the responsibility goes beyond finances - it includes ensuring schools are meeting wider sustainability goals.Food waste, particularly plate waste, is a growing area of attention. John shares a powerful example of one school that measured its food waste and discovered it was generating the equivalent of six minibuses of waste per year. By actively measuring and addressing the issue, the school reduced that to just two minibuses within eight months.A key part of that success was student engagement. John explains how involving students in the process - listening to their feedback, creating committees and keeping them informed - can lead to meaningful improvements in waste reduction, sustainability and overall satisfaction.The episode highlights how schools can achieve better outcomes by combining measurement, collaboration and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.One powerful example comes from Woodhouse Grove School, which discovered the scale of its plate waste and decided to take action.The result: Food waste reduced by 50% in just 5 weeks, saving the school £10,000 per year.The key? Measuring what was being wasted, involving students in the process, and continuously improving.Read the full case study: https://www.digitally.io/students-voice-school-food-waste/