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Packed lunchboxes delivered to school - thoughts?

27 replies

lunchfairy · 05/02/2010 18:45

Hi everyone,

Would anyone be interested in a company that makes a packed lunch for you and deliveries to your child's school?

A friend of mine is thinking of setting up a company that does this, lunch boxes/bags would include a sandwich with three choices of filling, a salad, a fruit snack and a yoghurt/jelly/savory snack.

Lunch bags would cost around £1.50/£1.80 a day, can be ordered online and would be dropped off at the school in time for lunch.

What does everyone think?
Thanks in advance for your advice/suggestions...

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 05/02/2010 18:47

After some free research are you?

lunchfairy · 05/02/2010 18:51

Hi SoupDragon,

I thought it was worthwhile getting some feedback before we jump in at the deep-end.

Not meaning to offend anyone, apologies if I've done so...

OP posts:
southeastastra · 05/02/2010 18:58

think it's quite a good idea, not sure what the school would think as maybe would undermine their school dinner service (which sometimes have sandwiches as options)

lunchfairy · 05/02/2010 19:03

Thanks very much for your post southeastastra

OP posts:
SixtyFootDoll · 05/02/2010 19:08

I wouldn't be interested as it is cheaper to make own lunch bags.
And like SEA most schools have sandwich options at lunch.

GoldenTomato · 05/02/2010 19:15

For me it would be a fab idea. I can't stand the getting packed lunch faff (work full time with 2 DSs). Also at that price it would be cheaper for me than school dinners. Please say she's thinking of doing this in Manchester??

bruffin · 05/02/2010 19:20

DCs primary offer a packed lunch option, so does the secondary.

SingleMum01 · 05/02/2010 19:23

I wouldn't be interested, cheaper to do them myself and I put in what I know my DS likes. If I can't be bothered/haven't got anything in he'll have school dinners - he prefers hot dinners then, but they also have sandwiches on offer. Sorry.

zubin · 05/02/2010 19:25

I would be interested, really hate doing packed lunches and £1.50 seems a reasonable price

lunchfairy · 05/02/2010 19:38

Thank you all so much for your replies - really appreciated!

We're thinking of launching on West London area at the mo'.

Thanks again, good weekends all

OP posts:
EssenceOfJack · 05/02/2010 19:42

didn't someone post almost the exact same thing the other day?

ravenAK · 05/02/2010 19:55

I think the school might not care for it - mostly schools/LAs have contracts with outside caterers to do school dinners, including sandwiches.

I suspect it'd be unlikely that school could permit you to deliver to their premises if that's the case?

janeite · 05/02/2010 19:59

I don't think schools or local authorities would allow this. All sorts of issues about health and safety etc.

bran · 05/02/2010 20:02

Wouldn't it be a bit of a pain for the school? I imagine the delivery person wouldn't be allowed to wander around the school dropping off to the relevant classrooms so they would all be left at reception and a member of staff would have to do the last bit of the delivery.

I wouldn't go for this as my DS is desperately fussy so unless your friend could be very specific regarding things like no butter in the sandwich he wouldn't eat it anyway.

pointydog · 05/02/2010 20:09

What's in it for the schools?

They'd need to take teh delivery, distribute and possibly clear away the waste. Also, they offer a packed lunch already. Are schools onside?

TheCrackFox · 05/02/2010 20:11

The schools won't do and they will site the reason being "Health and Safety".

Ivykaty44 · 05/02/2010 20:13

I wouldn't bother - if we want pack-up then making them is easy enough the night before or morning. Hot dinners are worth paying for , as they are hot and reasnable price and quantity.

With an outside comapny bringing in food - I wouldn't know if you didn't have something what you would put in the box instead, or if my dc would eat the stuff - or if they got mixed up, or not at all - then hungry children.

If the school didn't provide hot lunches - as some don't, and you were going to supply soemthing hot - then maybe?

Veritythebrave · 05/02/2010 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ravenAK · 05/02/2010 20:40

The bakery up the road from school does too - similar deal, in a bag, £1.50 - £2 depending on the sandwich.

Lots of parents give their dc money to pick one up between bus stop & school - seems sensible to me if you don't want to do a pack up & don't rate the school's provision.

Just can't see delivery to school being a goer.

cory · 05/02/2010 20:40

Was going to say what pointydog did; why would the schools want to set aside extra time to take delivery from a different company to their normal school dinners? And what about their existing contracts?

chipmonkey · 05/02/2010 20:44

I know our school wouldn't allow it. And if they had to be delivered to reception in our school I wouldn't bother as the children have previously not received things I sent in that they had forgotten to bring in themselves.

hocuspontas · 05/02/2010 21:03

Agree with everyone else. Who would be responsible if they didn't turn up? The school wouldn't have any food for them.

Lots of schools have three options each day. Two hot and one packed lunch in a lunch box. A non-starter I would think.

lunchfairy · 05/02/2010 21:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 05/02/2010 21:48

I can see that there are practical problems with delivery to the school, but I would be interested in the concept. I know that it is more expensive than making a packed lunch myself, but would be less hassle, and wouldn't have all the 'left lunchbox at school' problems either.

It would be cheaper than the school dinners at the dses senior school, as well as sounding healthier than any of the options open to them - school dinners, which are awful and not very healthy (they use powdered, dried cheese - urghhh), a burger van that parks just up the road, the local coop or newsagents, or the chippy. Sadly the school does not stop the kids going off site at lunchtime, except in Senior 1 (the equivalent of year 8, but the first year of senior school in scotland), and even they seem to be allowed to go as far as the burger van.

We used to have the Scotcard - a smartcard you charged up with a certain amount of cash, and which could be used in the canteen, but the machines were taken out almost 2 years ago, and have never been returned, so I have to give the dses cash - which they can spend anywhere.

If someone was delivering them a freshly made sandwich, salad, fruit and yoghurt for their lunches, I'd be very happy. They won't take packed lunches from home (and to be honest, I am too tired and depressed to fight it out with them to make them take packed lunches, not to mention too tired etc to cope with the stress of them not making their lunches, forgetting them, moaning about the choice of filling etc).

I am sorry this has turned into a rant. To be honest this is one of the areas I have given up in. I can't cope any more, and would love someone to be dealing with this for me.

TuppyGlossop · 05/02/2010 21:56

There is a company near me that does this called green bag lunch. It may be of interest to you. Good luck!

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