Cost of school lunches

[cluckyagain]

Hi all - my children's school lunches are now priced at £1.90 per child, per day (state primary). How does this price seem to you, is yours more or less expensive? I occasionally look after my friend's children after school and would only ever spend £1.50 each max. (mass catering!) This seems really expensive to me, considering it's council run.

[SoupDragon]

Ours went up to £2 per child per day this term.

[SoupDragon]

Does the £1.50 you spend per child include the cost of staff and power involved in cooking and washing up etc?

[Blackduck]

1.60 a day here...

[GossipMonger]

£1.85 here

overpriced if you ask me for big numbers

[galletti]

£2.20 per day here!

[cluckyagain]

Soupdragon - no, I suppose on-costs not included (professional attitude of degree educated unpaid galley slave!!) Hmm - perhaps it's me who's undercharging...

[cluckyagain]

Blimey - big differences in price. I'm wondering if it's the 'choice' that puts the prices up massively - if all the little darlings would just eat one thing we'd be fine!

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

£2 so its packed lunch

[QOD]

£1.90

I usually feed the 3 of us in the evening for less than that

Therefore she has packed lunches

[nymphadora]

£1.90 here

[Smithagain]

Just gone up to £1.90 here as well. Which does seem a lot now that both DDs are at school. But they are very good dinners, and DD1 is very excited that they have just started to get a choice of food, so I'm sticking with it.

[petitmaman]

i thought there was that big Jamie Oliver hoo- ha because only 50p was spent on school lunches? or is that food and parents get charged more to include cooks etc?

[lucykate]

£2 a day per child (was £1 when in pre-school). can't afford it, have 2 dc's, would be £20 a week, £80 a month. no way, packed lunch for both.

[Fennel]

£1.75 but they are quite good, a restaurant chef does them specially for our school and another one, lots of fresh fruit and veg. Parents get to go and eat sometimes and I've been impressed, they actually taste nice.

[Feenie]

£2.20 here - and we are the cheapest in our LEA, aswell, apparently.
They are crap.

[serenity]

Dammit. Thought ours were £1.90, but just checked because another MNer in the same LEA said £2, and ours have gone up too.

£2! This is why mine have packed lunch.

[mrz]

All school meals are free here

[serenity]

Are you in Newham or County Durham? I understand they're trialling free school meals for everyone there

[bronze]

I think its just gone up to £2.20 here.

I know costs are slightly higher as they have to bring it from another school but surely parents shouldn't be bearing that cost if they decide to shut kitchens to save themselves money thats their problem.
Its also high because obviously the less children the more per child and its a small school.

How is it fair they're doing free school meals in some places yet putting prices up in others. Wouldn't it just be fairer to even out the cost across the country

[expatinscotland]

£1.85. She's having packed lunches.

[LaurieFairyCake]

It was £1.75 in primary last year.

It's now £2.70 at secondary

[weegiemum]

£1.15

Apart from places where it is free, they are the cheapest in the UK I think.

My kids go 2/3 times a week. Even at £1.15 though, with 3 children it is £17.25 a week, so we do a couple of packed lunches as well.

The £1.15 includes main course, pudding, fruit, soup if they want it, water or milk.

There is also a free breakfast club for all pupils and free fruit through the school day.

I think we get a good deal.

[flossie64]

Ours went up last year to £2.20, the rumour is they are about to go up to £2.50!!
My DD does not have them ,due to the cost crap they serve.

[expatinscotland]

DD1 gets free fruit Wed-Fri. Have to give her a snack on Mon. and Tues., though.

No breakfast club.

[expatinscotland]

DD1 gets free fruit Wed-Fri. Have to give her a snack on Mon. and Tues., though.

No breakfast club.