To think a pot of fruit shouldn't cost more than a main meal?

[MalodyandJim]

Secondary school...just checked DDs account. She had a main meal at £1.15 and a pot of fruit at £1.20. Pot of fruit was apple/melon/grapes

That's ridiculous isn't it? How does a pot of cheap fruit cost more than a curry and naan bread?!

Free school meal allowance is £2.30 a day I think. So if you're on FSM you can't have a meal and fruit and a drink (no water fountains) or any breakfast because once you've bought a meal and drink you can't afford any fruit. They don't sell individual pieces of fruit either, just pots.

Because fruit is more expensive than the veg they probably used to bulk out the curry.

The main meal is cooked in school, presumably and can be done in bulk, whilst I suspect they order in the fruit. I'm sure they can accept more for the meal if you make a point of it

As you sure they can't have a meal and fruit and a drink if you are on FSM? You definitely can at ours. A main meal, a drink and a desert is £2.20 or whatever it is now.

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media/1925/school-meals-secondary.pdf

She does eat breakfast at home. You can get a meal a drink and a pudding on the meal deal, not fruit!

Talk to the school about it - why no fruit in the meal deal. And/or why not just fruit instead of 'fruit pots' - things that kids can manage ( satsuma, bunch of seedless grapes, banana halved if large).

And they surely ought to have water freely available - don't they have jugs of tap water available?

£1.15 is very cheap for a main meal so will be subsidised or sold at cost.

The fruit will not be subsidised but is still cheaper than similar in a supermarket - have a look to see how much they charge for prepared fresh fruit.

It is probably to ensure that everyone can afford a meal but anything above the basics have to be paid for in full.

The issue is not thst the fruit is expensive but the meal is cheap.

Fruit isn't cheap- specially melon and grapes.

I think its the meal that is surprisingly cheap, not the fruit that is expensive, it isn't.

I somehow missed that we were talking about a secondary school. In which case absolutely no need for pots of prepared fruit (which are expensive) - a pile of apples, bananas, citrus etc. Melon needs minimal prep to cut into wedges.