Blow as school meals service is set to end

'IT’S NO LONGER POSSIBLE FOR US TO BREAK EVEN' - CATER’ED

- By CARL EVE

BUDGET constraints coupled with the ongoing cost of living crisis has caused the award-winning CATERed school meal service to come to an end - leaving schools to sort out pupils’ lunches for the next academic year.

The cooperative company jointly owned by Plymouth City Council and local schools - has provided high-quality school meals across the city for the last decade, as well as providing a daily community meals service.

However, the council announced yesterday that it is set to come to an end at the end of this academic year due to the financial pressures of the ongoing cost of living crisis and the shortfall in funding for free school meals. Only last month the council heard that it had to “act now” to avoid bankruptcy.

The council has said the school meals service will run until July 2026, while the community meals service will stop in just two months time at the end of February 2026.

Formerly the council's education catering service, CATERed was set up in 2015 and used fresh, locally and regionally sourced, seasonal ingredients to serve hot, freshly prepared school lunches by dedicated, trained staff.

Operating along cooperative lines, maintained schools, academies and multi-academy trusts have, for the last 10 years, pooled and shared budgets for school food which has levelled out funding and ensured that all schools could provide a hot food service to all pupils, regardless of their background, or which school they attended.

It was considered unique in the country and the cooperative company prided itself on its work with local companies, growers, fishers and suppliers for the last decade, which in turn supported the local and regional economy. Recognised nationally, CATERed has won numerous national accolades.