There is good news for parents this week as the price of school meals served by Hampshire County Council’s Catering Service are to be kept the same for the fourth consecutive year, costing £2 per meal.

At his decision day on January 18, Councillor Roy Perry, Hampshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, approved the maintaining of the price of school meals at its current level of £2 per meal. This is the fourth year in a row that the County Council has not increased the price of the meals providing good news for families under increasing pressures in the current difficult economic climate.

There is increased take-up of the tasty meals with around 7m likely to be served in the County’s primary schools by the end of the school year based on the current take-up. More than one in three pupils (a total of around 34,000 children each day), are now eating a school meal, putting Hampshire’s percentage meal take-up at its highest ever level. Figures for the Autumn term show a 10% increase on the same time last year. The rise in popularity of the meals is being attributed to the addition of a number of tasty lunchtime favourites on the menu, including roast dinners which are now available twice a week, turkey curry, pizza, and fish on a Friday, and for vegetarians, choices include sweet potato and lentil curry, vegetable and bean bake and Italian tomato pasta.

Throughout the year youngsters can select a main meal, a side helping of vegetables and salad together with either potatoes, pasta or rice. Dessert is a choice of fresh fruit or handmade pudding such as raspberry love cake and custard, or date and banana cake. Every meal combines to make up a third of the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals for a child over the weekly menu, which also helps support learning in the classroom.

An added benefit of Hampshire school meals, for the local economy, is that they are made from ingredients sourced from around 26 local suppliers. The ingredients include locally grown fruit and vegetables, pork and beef from Hampshire farms, free range eggs from the New Forest, which recently resulted in the catering service being awarded the national Good Egg award, and apple juice from Selborne. Suppliers also ensure all fish is from well-managed, sustainable fisheries. The meals also meet the criteria of the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) for the removal of additives that can affect a child’s behaviour.

Commenting Councillor Perry said:

“The school meals service plays an important role in the development of healthy eating in children, providing them with a choice of high quality meals served daily in most of our schools. The service also plays a part in supporting local food producers where possible which is important for the development of the Hampshire economy. The increased take-up has enabled us to hold the price for the fourth year in a row. I am mindful that we are living in difficult economic times so hope this news is welcomed by parents.. In my view the meals represent excellent value for money providing a nutritious lunchtime meal for pupils.”

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