to complain about the state of the school lunches?

My kids primary school is struggling financially as much as any other. They still manage to provide sensible school dinners every day. Proper portions of things like pasta bolognese, sausage and mash, chicken curry etc.

Are you in a MAT by any chance?

Parents used to complain about portion size when dc were at primary. It was usually the parents with larger dc. Just give them a snack when they get home from school. If they’ve had breakfast, fruit at break, lunch (even if it’s small) then snack at 3.30pm then cooked dinner, that should be plenty of calories in their day.

Yes, I am pretty sure you are right. But for society it’s win-win.

Just provide them with a packed lunch instead

People won't pay for it via taxes is the reason. I think taxes are higher in Scandinavia so services are better. I would prefer this but most voters don't seem to agree.

I am so glad my kids were brought up in Scandinavia (free home cooked tasty food) and not in the UK. Why on earth do you put up with it?

My eldest daughter is 34 and still remembers being vegetarian and third sitting for lunch, when the only thing that she could eat was a plate of sad salad. Non veggies used to prefer the veggie option, so that would go first, and you'd think that common sense would dictate that they would just make MORE of the veggie choice, but no.

So this isn't a recent thing.

Absolutely this. It's nothing to do with the teachers.

I don't get places where the meals are free for everyone it's the same in London even though a lot of people must be balling in money to even afford to live in London like damn no wonder the food is mid. Where I'm from only children from poor families get the meals for free.
Edited to say and for reception -year 2

I live in the same road as a Primary ans often see Brakes lorries taking food. My dH used to be a chef and he has told me the standard from such firms is very low. The pictures on their vans are vastly different to what gets served.

Suppose it depends how the local lea works it's meals. My kids primary had their meals bused in from another school then heated up

Does your £2.50 include wages including cleaning up time, NI, pensions, sick pay, cleaning products and a profit?

It's £3.30 per day at my school and both my children have packed lunches every day now. Not because of the money (making packed lunches every day is a chore) but their school dinner offerings are just as you describe OP. It's appalling and the older children are served the same portions as the younger ones. Even the teacher said to me she understands why so many children have packed lunches and wouldn't touch the school dinners. Jamie Oliver, it's time for another intervention. They might not have turkey twizzlers on the menu anymore but they are served up tiny shrivelled jacket potatoes, wet meat, cold stodgy pizzas and portion sizes for a hamster.

My DCs original primary was like that, they also made such a huge fuss about my DS' allergies that I didn't bother and made him packed lunch instead.
DD went and tried the fish and chips on a Friday, usually one of her faves at the time. She said it was horrible, the chips were still frozen in the middle and the fish was "slimy".

When they moved school they were far better
I think it depends on which catering team they use, I think it's Chartwells that was rubbish. The next one was incredibly helpful over the allergies, even making him a special meal of he couldn't eat the days special.

Secondary school has been better. Far more choice.

In my DDs school pizza day is always a hit.. large doughy pizza with LOTS of cheese!!

They do have some odd things though like vegetable chow main and Mexican cottage pie.. DD always has an omelette, packed lunch or jacket on those days!

Angel delight is still always served too!

My son’s school has moved to a new caterer and he’s apparently eating more now rather than just a jacket potato each day. He’s 4 so gets free meals. hopefully the positive change lasts as by some descriptions on here some meals can be rank.
Unfortunately the change in caterer means that breakfast club - that we pay for- is no longer a cooked breakfast and is a choice of cereal or toast. My son says the toast is yucky.

Are yours provided by Dolce because that sounds same as ours. The pizza is particularly rank.

We generally have, on rotation:

Pizza (various toppings)
A pasta (bolognese/mac & cheese/pasta bake)
Curry or chilli with rice
Roast dinner (only chicken)
Burritos/tacos/spicy wraps
Jacket potatoes
Sandwich option
Fish and chips

So not too bad. But it would certainly be frowned (and commented!) upon it i sent cold pizza in as a packed lunch. I'd get a naughty parent bad lunch letter!

Don't get me started on the desserts. As I said in my last post, not allowed except fruit or yoghurt in packed lunches. School dinners regularly have cookies, cake, jelly and more.

I don't care if my children have a cookie or a jelly...but I do object to not being allowed to put a jelly pot in my child's lunchbox occasionally!

I’d complain/bring it up as a query with the school- but not to the teacher.
It is absolutely nothing to do with them so it’s futile. Go to the main office or arrange a meeting with the Head.

Do you know who provides your child's school lunches? Ours are via a catering company- nothing to do with the school.

At our primary school preordered is served by staff to children. You can't change your order last minute.

Secondary school my youngst will attend year we were told at intro night they do the same.

Ours are £2.80 now. We do a pack lunch but today had to do dinners and then menu was beef or veggie burger, Harry Ramsden fish cake or jacket potato. I chose the potato for her as the others sounded awful.

Sounds so different from the school dinners we used to have but this was juniors in the 70s.
We loved school dinners, we all got the same meal and there was nearly always seconds, and if we didn't like it we went hungry.

How come they're allowed to serve pizza and all sorts of junk food yet the parents aren't allowed to give it to their kids themselves? That would have my back up.

The pre order thing can be a bit of a red herring, as kids will change their minds when faced with the food all laid out. If my child was last sitting, often there was no portions of his pre ordered choice left.
honestly, packed lunch is safer!

@InDogweRust that makes sense, we have our own kitchen staff, also council employed, so not for profit.