Wow! Thank you for all your feedback about the food boxes our school meals provider CATERed is providing to families entitled to free school meals.
We’ve had a huge number of positive comments but some of you have questions, so we’ve gone through all the hundreds of comments and hope to answer the most frequent ones.
Why is a private company providing school meals?
It’s not. CATERed is Plymouth’s main school meals provider and is jointly owned by 67 schools and the Council. Any surpluses that are generated are re-invested back into the school meal provision. CATERed is the first of its kind in the country and was created to make sure all Plymouth children could get a healthy, freshly prepared lunch using local and regional suppliers to source and provide fresh and seasonal ingredients. There are number of schools in Plymouth that provide their own school meals directly and you should check with your school if you are unsure.
That doesn’t look like £15 worth of food
This is the one that is really important for us to explain. The £15 that everyone keeps referring to relates to the value of vouchers provided during the first lockdown per child, per week set by the Government. This does not reflect levels of funding received for food provision of school meals at any time in the past or to date. CATERed is providing the food parcels to its schools from existing free school meals funding received directly from the schools. The free school meal allowance in a primary school is £2.20 per day but this is not just for food. All costs must be covered from this figure including staffing, food and ingredients as well as maintenance of school kitchens to ensure a safe working environment and equipment. Basically the funding that schools receive from the government ensures there is a school meal service to feed children during term time. CATERed has not received additional funding to provide these food parcels.
Why can’t I just have the money/vouchers?
CATERed Limited food contracts are with local businesses. By continuing to use them to supply the food parcels they are protecting local jobs and the local economy. Farmers across the South West supply fresh produce to CATERed and their business is vital to their survival. The government guidance says that schools should speak to their school meal provider in the first instance, but if food parcels cannot be produced they will be supporting with a national voucher scheme.
Why am I not getting anything, my child gets free school meals
If you are registered for benefit-based free school meals and have not been offered support please talk to you school straightaway. If your child receives universal infant school meals you will not get these boxes. They are only to support families of children who are receiving benefit-based free school meals.
How am I supposed to make this stretch to cover their food for the day?
The food parcels provide all the ingredients you need to make five simple lunches (Monday to Friday) in place of a lunch that would have been received in school. It is not designed to cover snacks or extra meals.
My child doesn’t like the food you are providing
CATERed use the official guidance to produce the food parcels. This was written with the help of Public Health England and LACA - The School Food People and follows the School Food Standards and the Eat Well Plate. School caterers have strict rules to follow on what they can add into the food parcels. If your child has specific dietary requirements you just need to talk to CATERed who will do their best to help. If you have any concerns or feedback about the food you receive you are welcome to contact CATERed direct and they will do their best to help you via catering@catered.org.uk
These pictures give you an example of some of the delicious meals you can make with the food parcels.
