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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think school could have changed the menu a bit?!

81 replies

Fluffyyellowduck · 10/01/2023 18:34

Spring term lunch menu (primary) and there are zero changes from last term. 😬

There were a number of meals quite a few of us on the group chat were hoping would not still be on the menu as they didn’t seem to be popular with the dc.

It’s an Academy and they do their own catering. The head cook hasn’t changed and usually changes the menu each term.

Has anyone else’s school done this? It’s so frustrating.

AIBU to think they could have made a few changes?!

OP posts:
Laurakiaora · 10/01/2023 18:57

I work at a nursery and in December they changed the three-week menu for the first time since October 2019.

daybroke · 10/01/2023 18:57

Just send a packed lunch if you're not happy.

Eyerollcentral · 10/01/2023 19:01

Iam4eels · 10/01/2023 18:49

I'm in four group chats spread across three different schools. Two are lovely and chilled out. One is always silent. One is full of overinvested 'parent on the edge' types who are obsessed with every minutiae of their child's school life and do stuff like stand on the pavement outside school to wave the coach off whenever there is a class trip or get together a group complaint because a teacher sent the DC out on the yard when it was drizzling (and these are 11-12 year olds so not small children).

Lol this 100%! In the nicest possible way OP, you are way over thinking this.

Original poster
Fluffyyellowduck · 10/01/2023 19:02

In all fairness i hadn’t considered the cost implications and the complexity involved.

Thank you for some perspective.

OP posts:
FlamingoQueen · 10/01/2023 19:04

Perhaps the children like the menu and the staff want to keep the food because it’s familiar and they can’t afford to be trying new things whilst on a tight budget. If you are being bitchy over the meals then I would say to give them a break. There are other things in life to be cross about.

GiltEdges · 10/01/2023 19:04

The only thing I’d take issue with, from a sustainability perspective, is that they should really be adapting the fruit/veg choices to take account of seasonality.

zurala · 10/01/2023 19:05

YANBU ours changes every term. It's rubbish not to change it every so often, how boring for the kids.

MargaretThursday · 10/01/2023 19:06

They changed the wording on the menu when I asked whose home the "home baked rolls" were being baked in.
They became "freshly baked rolls". 🤣

There's always going to be some meals your dc prefer. Maybe other dc love those ones. I remember my dc arguing whether a particular meal was "the best ever" or "disgusting". It wasn't something particularly exciting either way as far as I was concerned.

Ponderingwindow · 10/01/2023 19:08

You didn’t think about the cost and complexity? Really?

no wonder teachers and other school staff feel so unappreciated.

SpanishSalsaing · 10/01/2023 19:09

Must be awful working in a school - a couple of thousand of eagle eyed parents constantly on the look out for something to moan about.

When I was at school, I don't think parents knew or cared much about what went on in school.

2FelisCatus · 10/01/2023 19:11

It's not a race to the bottom. Our school
Changes the meals every term but they've started to ask parents to contribute to a meals fund as they just can't serve anything nutritious and tasty without additional help.

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 10/01/2023 19:13

Dd3 had jacket spud with cheese and beans, or tuna every day for 5 years!

Abraxan · 10/01/2023 19:16

Our school food is cooked in the school next door. The food and menus come from a school meals company, independent to either school.

Our menu changes twice a year. There is a summer menu and a winter menu. I can't remember when it switches to style summer menu - ifs it's Easter holidays or before.

However, the menu we've just posted on our website is the same menu we posted for last term, just with new dates on it for the coming weeks.

Patineur · 10/01/2023 19:31

Did you and others on the Group chat ask that the items in question be changed?

donttellmehesalive · 10/01/2023 19:34

It appears there is literally nothing that over-invested parents won't complain about. Your kid gets a two course lunch for something like £2.20. They have to pay for staff, energy and ingredients. If the menu hasn't changed it's either financial or they had strong take-up in the autumn term. As pp have said, send a packed lunch if it's not acceptable.

UsingChangeofName · 10/01/2023 19:35

Spendonsend · 10/01/2023 18:40

I would say with the cost of food going up and up and the amount lunch costs being fairly static that there is a chance the cook has come up with a cost efficient menu in terms of ingredients, prep time and cooking time and is sticking with it

This.
As well as cost, logistics of preparing on a large scale, availability of ingredients, accounting for allergies, they also have rules around the amount of (for example) sugar they can use over a week.
Once you've got ALL of that balanced, I wouldn't be changing it either.

Plus, for every parent who thinks they need some more variety I bet there will be a dozen dc who would be upset or unsettled if a meal they were expecting were taken off the menu.

I can't imagine being this invested in the miniature of provision like this. I was happy my dc got a lovely balanced meal cooked for them each day that they enjoyed and I didn't have to think about it.

AlbaDT · 10/01/2023 19:38

Jesus wept. Do people really have nothing else in their lives that they have the time to not only think this, but discuss it in a WhatsApp group AND then create a thread on a forum about it?!

Mumto32022 · 10/01/2023 19:39

Far too busy to care about my kids school menu to be honest 🤣

hoppityscotch · 10/01/2023 19:42

Why do you all spend so much time discussing their lunches? I assume they aren't being given cold sandwiches?

upfucked · 10/01/2023 19:42

We have to pre-order them 3 weeks in advance. It’s only mention on our WhatsApp group that’s it’s time to order for next half term.

The menu is shite but for £2.20 per meal including the cost of staff, I’m not surprised. I’m considering moving to packed lunch.

upfucked · 10/01/2023 19:43

Our kid’s menu is also checked by an NHS dietitian -
although given the menu the criteria must be shockingly low.

BrewersFaye · 10/01/2023 19:45

Fluffyyellowduck · 10/01/2023 18:44

Our group chat is always busy, I assumed everyone’s was! School dinners are mentioned atleast 3 times a week if not more!

You must all have thrilling lives

Dogsogdog · 10/01/2023 19:46

Busybody WhatsApp groups

Springtoautumn · 10/01/2023 19:48

I think it is a shame, but then so typical of the UK. Let’s give them the bare minimum, bargain basement bland barely-recognisable food. Why not flip it and use it as an opportunity to introduce kids to something better?

justasmalltownmum · 10/01/2023 19:51

Our school changes the menu, slightly every term.

I think 2 days, 2 mains change.

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