“Rather than restricting takeaway food we should seek to transform it, by making healthy food as visible, tasty, and cheap as unhealthy food.”

Fiona Godlee, editor in chief, British Medical Journal

The problem

Urban deprived areas are dominated by unhealthy takeaway food, increasing the risks of poor diets and health problems like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The Solution

Healthy fast food outlets that are cheap, quick, close and tasty.

“Some local government money is being spent on healthy­ eating education programmes but those tend to be exercises in preaching to the converted… Compared to that the Box Chicken project starts to look like the only practical effort to do something.”

Jay Rayner, The Observer

So far…

• 6 healthier mobile catering units (one of which named Box Chicken) set up in 5 London boroughs
• 66% fewer calories, 53% less sugar, 40% less saturated fat, and 23% less salt, in each meal served (compared to a typical meal at a chicken shop)
• 2711 meals sold over the test period
• 200+ young people, teachers, youth workers, chicken shop workers and owners, nutritionists, and public health officials consulted in research