Home > Nutrition & Inclusive Menus > Mellors Moonlit Meals Engaging, immersive and enjoyable Experiences At Mellors, our people and the communities we serve are at the centre of everything we do. Each day, we provide school meals for a wide range of multi-faith schools across our regions. By listening carefully to feedback from pupils, families, clients, and school partners, we continually look for meaningful ways to better support the diverse communities we work with. As an inclusive caterer, we are proud to introduce Mellors Moonlit Meals — an initiative designed to support pupils observing Ramadan by enabling them to use their Free School Meal (FSM) allowance in a flexible and meaningful way. At Mellors, our ambition is to be the gold standard in inclusivity, offering food that is culturally respectful, diverse, and truly reflective of the communities we serve. Supporting Ramadan Ramadan is a sacred time of fasting, reflection, and togetherness for Muslims. To better support this important period — and to help families make full use of their FSM allowance during the holy month — we are delighted to launch Mellors Moonlit Meals in January 2026. Tried, Tested & Foodie Approved! Before Mellors Moonlit Meals reaches our schools, it goes through a rigorous (and very tasty!) journey of testing and refinement. Our brilliant teams of foodies across sites in the North of England came together to trial recipes, sample ingredients, and share honest feedback — all to ensure Mellors Moonlit Meals is as meaningful, respectful, and authentic as possible for those observing Ramadan. At Mellors, feedback truly matters. Every initiative we launch is carefully trialled, reviewed, and improved before being rolled out. This collaborative approach helps us deliver food that not only meets our high standards, but genuinely reflects the communities we serve. A huge shout-out and thank you to Siddra Kazmi from Starbank Hob Moor Road, Emma Labbett Cadden from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy East Birmingham, and Mahmud Yaqub from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy Bradford. Their insight and lived experience played a vital role in shaping Moonlit Meals. Tony Trainor, Mellors CEO Said… “Moonlit Meals is very special to us, and it has been developed over time in close collaboration with our food teams who observe Ramadan. It was essential that we created an authentic and respectful offering, so at every stage we listened to, involved, and consulted colleagues with lived experience.” “This approach gave us confidence that Moonlit Meals would be a positive and meaningful way to recognise this special time of year, while also helping to raise awareness and understanding of Ramadan across our wider school communities. We’re incredibly excited to share it.” Moonlit Meals Options Pupils will be able to choose from three carefully designed options, allowing families to select what best suits their needs: 1. Take-Home Cold Meal Deal A choice of sandwich, salad, cous cous or rice pot, accompanied by a yummy home bake or fruit and bottled water — perfect to take home and enjoy after sunset. 2. Home “Care Package” of Cupboard Essentials A selection of useful cupboard staples such as rice, chopped tomatoes, spices, and other ingredients that support home-cooked meals throughout Ramadan. A great addition to any families home-cooked store cupboard (check out our recipes for inspo below!) 3. Ready Prepped Meal Freshly prepared each day and collected after school, complete with clear storage and reheating instructions to ensure both safety and convenience at home. Collect cold and re-heat at home, complete with bottled water and fruit. Reheating Guidance Danielle Watkins, Head of Food Development said… “Food sits at the heart of so many celebrations, and this is especially true during Ramadan. In many Muslim households, the announcement of Eid and Ramadan brings families together to prepare meals and celebrate collectively. At Mellors, we wanted to help make this time a little easier for families by enabling them to use their Free School Meal allowance in a flexible way — while adding a touch of Mellors sparkle.” Ready to Try? Moonlit Meals not only supports religious observance, but also reflects Mellors ongoing commitment to inclusivity, community wellbeing, and student support. We estimate that around 130 Mellors primary and secondary schools may participate in the programme, with the potential to positively impact up to 40,000 pupils and their families. Across the three-week Ramadan period, this could include the provision of over 600,000 sandwiches. Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe – Serves 4 Jollof Rice Recipe – Serves 4 Nihari with Rice Recipe – Serves 4 Wishing you and your family a blessed and peaceful Ramadan. Still hungry for more? Check it out!