Cost of Hampshire school meals rises again

School meals in Hampshire have gone up in price - with the County Council saying the 10 pence increase is being introduced to meet the 'rising cost of providing school meals.'

The increase means school dinners now cost £2.50.

The local authority stresses it"continues to represent good value" for a two course, freshly cooked meal.

Since September 2018 the cost of a school meal has risen 16%.

Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services and Young People, Councillor Patricia Stallard said:

"We're very proud of the high standard of school meals that our catering service (HC3S) provides - using good quality British produce. A healthy lunch at school contributes significantly to a child's wellbeing and their capacity to learn, through to the end of the school day."

"I am keen that school meals remain affordable, but we must balance this against the increasing cost of providing those meals. Mainly this comes from the ever-increasing cost of ingredients. In addition, HC3S is actively supporting the County Council's climate change programme and whilst changes such as sourcing alternatives to single-use plastic are projected to incur slightly higher costs, it is certainly the right thing to do in a climate emergency."

Around 12 million healthy school meals were served in Hampshire's primary and secondary schools last year.