SchoolGrid

What SchoolGrid does

SchoolGrid (formerly Live Kitchen) is a UK-based, independent SaaS company founded in 2007 by Dugald Curtis that provides kitchen management software to primary and secondary schools, Local Authority caterers, private caterers and Multi Academy Trusts. The platform is built around four integrated web-based products: ParentGrid (parent ordering, payments and feedback), MenuGrid (menu/recipe management with live supplier-data integration), KitchenGrid (kitchen operations, food-waste reduction and compliance) and SelfXpress (RFID-based self-checkout for secondary schools). SchoolGrid processes over 20 million meal orders annually across 800+ schools in the UK and has extended into Swedish municipal catering through integration with the DABAS ingredient database.

The company monetises through a hybrid model: MenuGrid is offered free for life to public-sector caterers who are LACA members, KitchenGrid is free for Local Authority and arms-length caterers, and a fully-funded 6-month pilot is available across up to 5 schools. Paid revenue is generated from commercial caterers, MATs, secondary schools, and colleges via subscription licences for the full suite, professional services (on-site training, installation, hardware fitting), and payment-processing transaction fees on card and Direct Debit collections. Sales is led by a direct UK-based team with demos at existing customer sites and active participation in LACA industry events; the UK customer service team also handles inbound parent calls as a switching-cost anchor. SchoolGrid holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and Cyber Essentials certifications, and supports the LACA Grab 'N' Go Challenge, the University of Leeds food-choice research partnership, and the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

Operationally, SchoolGrid is led by founder-CEO Dugald Curtis, CTO Gary Clark, CCO Mike Travis, COO Holly Roberts (first COO, appointed April 2024) and Non-Executive Director Lin O'Brien MBE (appointed December 2021). The company remains privately held with no disclosed external funding, is registered in Scotland (SchoolGrid Ltd, SC333369) with operational offices in Edinburgh and Shipley, and is positioned as a category-defining incumbent in UK school catering software following LACA Supplier of the Year (2022) and joint LACA Outstanding Supplier of the Year (2024).

Name

SchoolGrid

Legal name

SchoolGrid Ltd

Website

https://schoolgrid.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SchoolGrid is an independent UK-based SaaS provider of kitchen management software for primary and secondary schools, Local Authority caterers, private caterers and Multi Academy Trusts. Its ParentGrid, MenuGrid, KitchenGrid and SelfXpress products serve 800+ schools and process over 20 million meal orders annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School Meal Management Software

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Services Administration (Meal Eligibility, POS, Nutrition Compliance) (EDAJAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Menu Planning, Nutrition & Dietary Accommodation Services (Allergens, Special Diets) (EDAEAEAD), Contract Foodservice Management for Schools (EDAEAEAB)

Keywords

• School meal ordering
• Kitchen management software
• Menu planning software
• Education catering technology
• Food waste reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Livingston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Software Subscription/SaaS: SchoolGrid provides kitchen management software as a service to schools and caterers. MenuGrid is offered free to public sector caterers who are LACA members, while other products like KitchenGrid are provided free to Local Authority caterers. The company generates revenue through software licensing and implementation services for their suite of products.
2. Professional Services: SchoolGrid provides on-site training, installation, and implementation services as part of their customer onboarding. They carry out all training, fit hardware, answer parent calls and emails, and provide ongoing support.
3. Payment Processing: The system handles card payments and Direct Debit collections for school meals. While payment processing fees may be covered during free trials, the system manages financial transactions for schools and caterers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SchoolGrid provides web-based kitchen management and school meal ordering software for primary and secondary schools, caterers, and local authorities across the UK and internationally. Their integrated suite covers parent-facing online ordering and payments, menu and recipe planning with supplier integration, kitchen operations and food waste reduction, and RFID self-checkout for secondary schools. The systems are designed to increase meal uptake, cut food costs, ensure allergen safety, and reduce administrative burden on school catering teams.

Product overview

SchoolGrid provides a suite of four integrated kitchen management software products for primary and secondary schools and caterers across the UK and internationally. The platform consists of ParentGrid (parent-facing ordering and payment system), MenuGrid (recipe and menu management), KitchenGrid (kitchen operations management), and SelfXpress (self-service checkout for secondaries). These products work together as a unified system: ParentGrid handles parent ordering and payments, MenuGrid manages recipes and menus with supplier integration, KitchenGrid supports kitchen operations and food waste reduction, and SelfXpress provides fast checkout for secondary schools. The company pioneered online classroom pre-ordering and was the first to market with an online allergy protection system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ParentGrid: Parent ordering, payments, feedback and messaging system for schools and caterers. Supports card, cash and Direct Debit payments with allergy protection controls.
• MenuGrid
• KitchenGrid
• SelfXpress

Products and services

• ParentGrid Parent-facing ordering, payments, and communication system that allows parents to pre-order school meals online, pay by card or Direct Debit in arrears, view menus and recipes, set allergy protections, and provide feedback via star ratings and micro surveys. Designed for parents of pupils at schools and caterers using SchoolGrid.
• MenuGrid Menu and recipe management suite with nutrition analysis, supplier data integration, allergen management, and cost analysis. Functions as a drop-in replacement for systems like Saffron and Nutmeg, and is offered free for public sector caterers who are LACA Members.
• KitchenGrid Award-winning kitchen management software that helps reduce food waste, manage recipes and weigh-outs, provides kitchen communication tools (Cook's Corner chat, Compliments to the Cook), compliance logging, and performance tracking. Aimed at school kitchens and catering teams.
• SelfXpress Self-service or traditional till checkout system for secondary schools using RFID technology, with self-checkout kiosks, traditional till mode, sixth-form custom ordering, and real-time sales reporting. Supports card payments, free meal provision, and Direct Debit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 8.5-10% increase in meal uptake across customer base
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Natasha Allergy Research FoundationminorOthers · 4 July 2024SchoolGrid supports the charity established by Nadim and Tanya Laperouse following their daughter Natasha's death from a severe allergic reaction. The charity aims to make allergy history. SchoolGrid participated in fundraising at LACA Main Event, raising £300.
• LACA (The School Food People)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2024SchoolGrid has been a LACA Partner for six years and sponsors the annual Grab 'N' Go Challenge. They partner on industry initiatives including the Plant Based Recipe Book project. LACA is the primary industry body for school food in the UK, making this a core strategic partnership for industry visibility and credibility.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2023Partnership with researchers at the University of Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition, led by Dr Hannah Ensaff, to study children's food choice in schools. A PhD researcher (Inès François) examines food choice data from primary schools over two years. The research is funded by the Economics and Social Research Council.
• WRAP (Guardians of Grub)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2022SchoolGrid joined the Guardians of Grub campaign developed by WRAP to support food service businesses in reducing food waste. The partnership provides a framework for SchoolGrid to help their customers reduce wasted food.
• DABAS DatabasecoreTechnology or IntegrationDABAS is the Swedish food ingredient database that SchoolGrid integrates with for their Swedish market operations. The database provides nutrition and ingredient data that links through to recipes and menus in the SchoolGrid system.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ParentPay Group: UK market-leading school payments and parent engagement platform, used across thousands of primary and secondary schools. Directly comparable to SchoolGrid's ParentGrid for online meal payments, pre-ordering, and parent communication in the same K-12 segment.
• Saffron (school catering software): Saffron is named by SchoolGrid itself as a direct incumbent that MenuGrid replaces in school caterers' operations. Saffron provides menu planning, nutrition analysis, and recipe management for education caterers, making it the closest functional peer in the UK school food software stack.
• Nutmeg (school catering software): Nutmeg is the other named incumbent that SchoolGrid explicitly positions MenuGrid as a drop-in replacement for. It serves UK school caterers with menu planning and nutrition analysis tools, overlapping directly with SchoolGrid's core menu and recipe suite.
• Scopay: UK-based cashless school payments and meal management platform used by primary and secondary schools. Competes with SchoolGrid in the parent-facing ordering and meal payment workflow, particularly for schools adopting cashless catering.
• Tucasi: UK school payment and administration provider offering online payments, meal management, and parent communication. Targets the same K-12 schools and local authority caterers as SchoolGrid, with overlapping parent ordering and cashless meal functionality.
• Nutrislice: US-headquartered school menu planning, nutrition, and parent communication platform used by K-12 districts. Directly comparable to SchoolGrid's MenuGrid and ParentGrid combined offering, with a focus on digital school menus and parent engagement.
• Cybersoft (POS/nutrition software): Provider of point-of-sale and nutrition management software for K-12 school nutrition programs in the US. Closely comparable to SchoolGrid's combined KitchenGrid and SelfXpress checkout functionality serving school nutrition operations.
• Mosaic MealViewer (by Harris School Solutions): School nutrition menu, allergen, and parent communication platform used across North American K-12 districts. Directly comparable to SchoolGrid's parent-facing menu and allergy communication workflows, adapted to the US school nutrition market.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo (School Food Catering & Tech): One of the world's largest contract caterers operating extensively in UK schools. Comparable to SchoolGrid as a target customer segment (school caterers) and as a potential competitor, since Sodexo invests in proprietary digital kitchen, menu, and payment tools for its school operations.

Emerging players

• Wholesome School Meals / Wholesome Wave: Non-profit and adjacent ecosystem player focused on school meal access, nutrition education, and food equity. Comparable to SchoolGrid as a stakeholder in the broader school food digitization and nutrition improvement agenda, though operating via program delivery rather than SaaS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schoolgrid

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SchoolGrid