LACA chair contributes to Guardian article highlighting plight of school caterers
01 Sep 2025
LACA chair Judith Gregory has has contributed to a news story in The Guardian highlighting the plight of school meal providers who are caught between keeping school meal prices as reasonable as possible and the realities of rising staff costs and food prices.
The article highlights that parents across the country are facing increased prices for school meals ahead of the new academic year. The price increases have been attributed to increased staffing costs and food price inflation going up.
According to The Guardian, price increases include:
- Coleham primary in Shrewsbury: school meals increasing by 10p a day to £2.60
- Bridge Hall primary in Stockport: school meals increasing by 8p to £2.73
- Fernhurst junior school in Portsmouth: school meals have a new daily rate of £2.86
Gregory said: “[School caterers are] doing everything possible to shield families by streamlining menus, adapting recipes and finding efficiencies. Food inflation has driven up the cost of school meals by more than 20% since 2020.
“Without urgent action to raise funding to at least £3.45 per meal, schools will be forced to reduce options or introduce less costly ingredients, while families just above the free school meal threshold face higher charges.”