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

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

From Food Service Matters by Patrick McDermott

March 27, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

Patrick McDermott interviews John Murphie about the challenges and strategies of providing nutritious meals in schools while addressing sustainability and food waste.

Season 4, Episode 3 - John Murphie, Former COO, ISBA In 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…

People in this episode

Host: Patrick McDermott

Guest: John Murphie

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Independent Schools Bursars Association

Places: UK

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