Jamies School Dinners

CL

Just watched this last night, I must say it does seem a disgrace that the schools are only allowed to spend 37p on ingredients for the dinners, I would think it would be impossible to provide a healthy meal for that, anybody got any idea on a healthy meal for 37p

Curry_Queen

I'd like to know what they do with the rest of the dinner money then, considering they charge £1.75 per meal/pupil :eek:

Debt_Free_Chick

At least some of the rest of the money will be taken up by paying the staff who cook the food - perhaps all of it goes in this way.

mrsmab59

They'll have overheads to pay as well...such as equipment, electricity and gas.

sce37

I would like to know the profit that the contractors cream off of the £1.75.

Debt_Free_Chick

sce37 wrote:

I would like to know the profit that the contractors cream off of the £1.75.

To be fair, they have to make some profit. It's just about impossible to get anyone to do anything for nothing

sce37

I agree that contractors need to make a profit, after all that is what they are in business for. But would be interested to know the degree of profit that is made as opposed to the money spent on the food and overheads etc.

If local authorities limit the cost of food to 37p I would like to know what the contractors costs for overheads etc are against the profit they make. I just thought it would be interesting to know and no doubt stimulate some debate.

swampytiggaa

i saw in the paper about one school who contracted out of the school meals system and got their lunches supplied by a local pub that had won awards for its food - the parents were still paying about £1-50 a day but the children were getting yummy food for it.....

the headteacher was collecting the dinners each morning in her car - must have a large boot i think

CL

As far as I could see it was the school who ran the canteen I think they charged £1 for the meal and the rest of the money went on Staff wages and overheads, not sure though, anyway can we get back on topic and try to think of a healthy meal please

Caterina

Hi all

We feel very fortunate as my two teenage children go to Kidbrooke School, the one where Jamie Oliver started the ball rolling and where Nora is the chief Dinner Lady! They tell me that it is unbelievable how the food quality has improved, and how much they enjoy their school lunches now.

My son even told me that Jamie's pizza is better than the one I make :-(

Greenwich Council have committed to improve school food and have now decided to increase funds for each school meal to 50 pence. They have also launched a recruitment campaign for more dinner staff to support the increase in workload caused by cooking fresh food from scratch!

The meal consists of a substantial main course, always with a choice for vegetarians or vegans and the children can help themselves to salad too, all for £1. Whether the extra 50p goes on overheads or profit I don't know, but I am very happy to pay it as I know that my children are being fed good healthy and filling food!

Caterina

Bogof_Babe

I don't see why the lunch time meal has to be a full-scale affair. I'm sure those of us who work, or stay at home for that matter, don't eat a proper cooked dinner in the middle of the day.

37p would buy a decent bowlful of vegetable soup (thus the vegetarians are covered too) and a crusty roll, and probably pay for an apple or banana too. The soup could be varied e.g. lentil, mushroom, cauliflower, celery etc.

That should be all that's required to keep the kids going - after all, the afternoon session is only a couple of hours maximum, then they can go home for their tea.

I realise this would give a problem re. the provision of free school meals for improverished families, but I have to wonder whether the benefits system could not be tweaked a bit, to allow these children to be fed properly at home too.