School Caterer Reports Free Meal Funding Inadequate Amid Cost Increases

A catering director has stated that a 5p increase in government funding allocated to schools for free school meals is “not enough” given the current rise in food expenses. The Department for Education (DfE) has raised the funding to £2.58 per meal for students who qualify for free school dinners. However, Adam Curtis, from Dolce School Catering in Manchester, indicated that the actual cost of providing the food exceeds this amount, compelling school kitchens to either cover the difference or modify their meal offerings. “Every caterer has had to take some money off the meal plate,” he said. He further noted that “The latest free school meals increase means that probably around 15/20p will have to come off the child’s food plate.” The government confirmed that the rate would see a 5p uplift for the 2024 to 2025 period, with the change applied retroactively to the beginning of the academic year. Free meals can be funded by colleges, independent learning providers, and sixth-forms for disadvantaged students aged 16 to 18 years. While infants in England are assured a free school meal, children in Year 3 and higher must belong to households receiving universal credit with an annual income under £7,400 to be eligible. This eligibility criterion has remained unaltered since 2018, resulting in 100,000 (one in four) school-age children experiencing poverty in the North West being unable to claim free meals, as per a report. Mr. Curtis indicated that the “small rise” in funding for free meals might disproportionately affect certain schools. He explained, “In catering it is all about quantities in scale, so it might be £4 per meal for us to cater for 50 pupils in a small rural school but we might be able to do it for £2.15/£2.20 in a big school with 900 enrolled in London,”. He further stated, “It is very likely that small, rural schools are going to have to jump up in meal price significantly, they have already.” He observed that many smaller schools are currently paying £3.50 or £4, and this amount could potentially increase further. “You can’t just have one meal price for all schools,” he concluded. A representative from the DfE stated that funding is subject to continuous review and that measures have been implemented to address difficulties faced by families experiencing hardship. They added, “Next year we are tripling our investment in breakfast clubs to over £30m, with delivery of free meals and childcare to begin in up to 750 schools from as early as April 2025.” They also mentioned that the government plans to continue providing funding for free lunches for over three million pupils.