Fri 12th Jun 2015 - Leon co-founders receive MBEs for school food contribution Leon co-founders receive MBEs for school food contribution: Leon co-founders John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby have been honoured with MBEs for their help creating the School Food Plan. A spokesman said: “Since the publication of the School Food Plan in July 2013, thousands of schools across the country have transformed their school food culture. With compulsory cooking on the curriculum, new school food standards and free school meals for all five, six and seven year-olds, a new golden age for school food is arriving. Henry and John have worked tirelessly to showcase the great schools and their leaders who do amazing things every day to ensure that children both eat great, tasty nutritious food and, vitally, learn how to love their food.” John Vincent said: “Writing and helping to implement the School Food Plan was a massive privilege and a character-building task. This recognition is a tribute to all of the people who work hard every day to provide health, pleasure and improved attainment to our children. Let’s all keep going.” The spokesman added: “Great school food improves academic attainment and starts to solve our chronic health crisis as a nation. The School Food Plan now brings together all schools and organisations helping those schools to continue on the journey to ensure our children’s future health and happiness.” Leon was founded in 2004 with an aim to make it easy for everybody to eat good food. Leon created the category of ‘Naturally Fast Food’, based on the concept of “Fast Food in Heaven”. The menu is inspired by Mediterranean and British cooking and changes across the year to incorporate seasonal ingredients. Leon now has 22 restaurants across the UK and plans to open many more this year.