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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that at 2 quid a time, they could manage not to make a total arse-up of the school dinners?

48 replies

Greensleeves · 13/03/2013 18:41

The dinners are reasonable, bog-standard school dinners, I'm not complaining about them per se

but twice recently they have "run out" of something pretty integral to the meal and had to replace it with something else. My ds1 (10yo and has AS) is a bit iffy about things not happening as they should and he doesn't like nasty surprises. So if he orders the "jacket potato with tuna mayo" option, being presented with a dollop of mash and a splat of tuna doesn't go down well. And it's £2!

Today they ran out of rice so they served the chicken curry with pasta.

We did packed lunches for a while, but the boys prefer a hot meal for lunch as long as it isn't ridiculous (like Smash and tuna mayo)

AIBU?

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 13/03/2013 18:43

yanbu, how difficult can it be to stock take and if needs be send someone to the supermarket for basics..

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/03/2013 18:46

So should I email the Head?

I am loath to do so in a way, because the Head is new-ish and doesn't particularly like ds1 as it is. DS1 writes a newsletter (school news issues, puzzles, short story) for the pupils and delivers it to the classrooms twice a term. He reported on the jacket potato/mash incident and the Head came to his classroom, bollocked him for spreading bad news and told him he should write about "not running in the corridors" instead

so it will definitely not be well-received... but I do bloody resent paying £2 for inedible shoite.

OP posts:
mrssmooth · 13/03/2013 18:47

Nope! Same has happened to dd2 and dd3 a couple of times. When I flagged it up with the school, they were very good and did give me a refund. I pointed out that I was confused as to how they could have run out, when I'd paid for the dinners upfront on Monday (for lunch on Friday), and even wrote their choices on on the money envelope!! Who on earth would want chicken curry (or any kind of curry!) with pasta?!

mrssmooth · 13/03/2013 18:49

I would bring it up with the head! It happened twice when they'd just changed providers and it doesn't seem to have happened again, but at least the head had the good grace to refund me the money! Have also complained to dd1's school (senior, others are at primary) that she was charged £2 for chips and beans because they'd run out of fish ...

StuntGirl · 13/03/2013 18:52

Don't let the head bully you (and your son!) into silence. If you're not happy about the his school dinners bring it to his attention.

If you're concerned about his approach to your son perhaps keep a diary, teachers can and do (sadly) bully children in their care sometimes.

ClippedPhoenix · 13/03/2013 18:54

Things happen surely?

Humans make mistakes.

I personally wouldn't make a huge deal about pasta instead of rice really. It's not like they weren't given an alternative.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/03/2013 18:57

They are quite expensive mistakes though Clipped. £2 is a lot to pay for a strange meal that a child isn't going to eat.

I appreciate that people make mistakes, I didn't complain the first time. But surely there should be some sort of standards? In the real world people don't pay for shit food that isn't what they asked for or even an acceptable alternative.

I'm not proposing making a huge song and dance, just sending the Head an email.

OP posts:
fieldfare · 13/03/2013 18:57

Definitely say something.

School dinners are a bit of a bugbear of mine atm. This week dd has had:
Monday - chicken burger in a bun with wedges and salad
Tuesday - sausages and mash with veg
Wednesday - pizza, wedges and beans
Thursday will be roast dinner
Friday will be fish and chips

This is more junk than I like. One meal like this a week is ok but it's just crap! Roast dinner excluded. The sausages are ok but not in amongst the rest of the rubbish, salt and fat! We pay £2.20 per day.

freddiefrog · 13/03/2013 19:11

We've given up on school dinners recently as they kept running out of food

We recently changed provider, the old one was fab, good range of healthy meals and they never ran out for a bargainous £1.60

The meals from the new one seem to rely heavily on burgers, pizza and potato wedges that they always seem to run out of by the time they get to the last class in. Several times my Y6 DD1 ended up with stuff like a jacket potato and bread with a few peas as they'd run out of the main components of a meal. Their answer to that was to rotate the order the classes went in, rather than address the shortages. All for £2.50 a day.

I've bought some really good hot food flasks so they take in leftovers. Much cheaper, and I'd rather they had something like leftover stew or shepherds pie than the continual burgers that school provides

LindyHemming · 13/03/2013 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/03/2013 19:13

That sounds great Euphemia. I wouldn't mind paying £2 for a decent, reliable, nutritious meal.

OP posts:
ClippedPhoenix · 13/03/2013 19:17

Blimey, what on earth is wrong with some people?

£2 for a lunch is nothing. A sandwich costs more than that.

Those that complain about the dinners, why don't you do a packed lunch then?

ilovesooty · 13/03/2013 19:21

the Head is new-ish and doesn't particularly like ds1 as it is. DS1 writes a newsletter (school news issues, puzzles, short story) for the pupils and delivers it to the classrooms twice a term. He reported on the jacket potato/mash incident and the Head came to his classroom, bollocked him for spreading bad news and told him he should write about "not running in the corridors" instead

So he finds the truth unpalatable and tries to suppress it? It makes me wonder now he treats his staff.

YANBU. I'd email him, and if necessary, follow it up with a meeting.

Wellthen · 13/03/2013 19:25

Its not indedible shite. 1 carb was replaced with another. The fact that your daughter was upset by this is not the kitchen's fault and its not actually their job to provide for that. They serve meals. Thats all they do. People seem to think that the canteen staff are an extension of and embody the ethos of the Headteacher. No. They are dinner ladies (and men) who serve lunches.

Its cheap, yes and so may well contain fat and salt. But its not shite or junk. Its 2 quids worth of hot food. You don't get much.

Wellthen · 13/03/2013 19:26

Oh, also, reporting an incident that happened once and appears to have only impacted one person negatively is not good journalism. I imagine thats what the head objected to.

ClippedPhoenix · 13/03/2013 19:43

Sorry OP but I have to agree with Wellthen here.

My DS is a bit of a fussy eater, hence me sending him in with a packed lunch.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/03/2013 19:44

No, it affected about 50 pupils and was "news" as far as years 4,5 and 6 were concerned. It didn't occur to ds1 that the Head would object to it being mentioned in the newsletter - it is supposed to be a pupils newsletter, about things which are relevant for pupils. DS1 talks to others about what to put in it. The Head has her own newsletter for telling people to walk in the corridors.

I don't think £2 for a mass-catered child's meal is "nothing" personally.

I won't complain now I don't think. I'll wait and see what happens.

OP posts:
TheCrackFox · 13/03/2013 19:53

I'd ask for my money back. Tuna and mash sounds utterly vile and most people would struggle to eat it.

piratecat · 13/03/2013 20:07

agree op.

rubbish dinners, they never get what's on the pre printed menu. dd frequently says there wasn't anything left of the 'main' bit, and has cobbled together meals.

Annoys me, the portions are tiny too, and at 11 she needs more than a 5 yr old, but they all get the same.

HOW can they cock up pasta!dd says it's always crispy and dried out.

ClippedPhoenix · 13/03/2013 20:15

Why on earth don't any of you do a packed lunch if its so bloody dire?

Or is that too much trouble? and you just like to moan about school dinners?

It's a school FFS not a nanny service.

Unbelievable really you are.

ClippedPhoenix · 13/03/2013 20:16

Oh, don't tell me, you don't have time.

Or is it because it's their only hot meal a day?

dyzzidi · 13/03/2013 20:22

Does the £2 per day not also cover dessert and bread with every meal? At our school it's 1.80 for dinner, fruit,dessert and bread. I'm very happy with it.

Geeklover · 13/03/2013 20:22

Yanbu. My mum has been a dinner lady on and off for 45 years and at one point worked on a rota of more than one kitchen trying to stop situations like this happening. £2 is not cheap for such a mass produced meal and they could be much better.
We are lucky. Our school meals are fab with a great mixture of crap the kids love and great stuff the parents love.
Ours are cooked on site. What our school do now is they have a coloured band system. The children tick their menu choice during register in the morning for the main body of the meal and are given a band corresponding to that choice. The kitchen know how much to make and it helps stop the little ones confusion at choosing in the queue.
Every day there is bread, fruit and salad offered on top of their meal choice as well on a help yourself basis.

shebird · 13/03/2013 20:34

YANBU Our school meals cost £2.20 and I expect something reasonable for this price. With the exception of the weekly roast dinner I am fed up of the negative feedback from my DCs and neither of them are fussy eaters. 'Soggy jacket potato with smelly bendy cheese' - at this price I think it's back to packed lunches.

Shutupanddrive · 13/03/2013 20:39

They must be trying to cut costs. There was usually seconds for whoever wanted it when I was in school (a long time ago!) and running out of things was unheard of. It's also quite sad that they don't use the local butcher and veg suppliers like they used to and get so much in frozen.

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