School caterers are having to cut down on portion sizes and adjust menus to counteract rising costs. LACA, whose members feed 3m pupils a day, is warning that funding from the Government for free school meals isn’t keeping up with the real cost of providing school dinners.
Michael Hales, vice chair of LACA, commented: “We are getting £2.61 per meal [as of September 2025] and its inadequate as its not kept up with inflation over the last few years. Speaking to our members in a recent survey, they believe the true cost of delivering that hot healthy and nutritious meal is actually £3.45.”
Clare Morton, headteacher at St Mary’s Primary School in Stoke, says increased costs are meaning some tough choices for school caterers. Schools in England only get £2.58 per child to cover free schools meals (this is rising to £2.61 as of September 2025).
In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Morton goes onto say that the actual cost of providing a school meal is £3.20 per pupil so there is a deficit of 60p per child per day. This works out at around £45,000 pounds a year, which Morton says could pay for another teacher to join the school.