New research by consumer watchdog Which? has found that school meal prices will have risen on average by at least 2.5 per cent this September compared to last year. However, some local authorities are charging substantially more than this.
The local authority with the biggest increase is Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, who will charge 25 per cent more for school meals. However, their prices still remain the lowest in the country at £1.25 per meal.
Doncaster Council is to increase prices by 17 per cent to £1.70-£2 for a meal, while Lewisham Council’s meals are to rise by 14 per cent to £1.40-£1.60.
The research also indicates that there are not enough children having school meals in order to keep costs down.
According to Which?, the FFLPs Caterers Circle, an advisory group of school caterers from across England, estimate that the average take-up levels before school meals services can break even and become self-financing. School meals need a take-up of at least 55 per cent to keep costs down, whereas just 45 per cent of children in England currently have school meals.
In some areas, including Wokingham District Council and West Sussex County council, uptake is as low as 25 per cent.
Contributing to this, says Which?, is the removal of the ring-fence to the School Dinner Grant last April, which means that local authorities can use the funding in other areas.
Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said, ‘At a time when many people tell Which? their number one concern is rising food prices, it will come as an unwelcome surprise to hard-pressed families to see that some local authorities are increasing their prices by as much as 17 per cent - well above inflation.
‘School meals in most areas are still a relatively low cost and low hassle way to provide a decent lunch for your children. But if schools cannot find ways to protect the extra funding that has gone to school meals and increase the number of children taking them up, there’s a real risk of even more price hikes or a drop in standards, undoing the progress that has been made over the past five years.’
The School Food Trust said keeping costs down was vital.
Director of Programmes and Partnerships, David Edwards, said, ‘Keeping prices affordable is crucial if we want more families to try school meals, which are typically healthier than the average packed lunch and set children up to learn in the afternoons.
‘At an average of around £1.93, school meals are still good value for money – there aren’t many places on the high street where you can get a nutritious, two-course meal for that price.
‘Ultimately, increasing the number of children eating school meals will mean that schools can spread their costs, reducing the need for subsidy in the longer-term.
‘That’s why we’re urging schools to continue investing in good food; helping them to make the lunch experience better so that pupils want to choose school meals, and supporting caterers to operate more efficiently.’
