Parliament launches National School
 Meals Week

During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Stephen Mosley, MP for Chester, asked David Cameron to join him in welcoming the parliamentary launch of National School Meals Week, which will take place in November.

The PM responded: “I certainly join my honourable friend in that. I think it is a very important cause, because we have had several problems with school meals over the years.


“They are not attractive enough for young people who want to take them, and there are also problems with obesity, so getting this right, which has been happening over recent years, is extremely important.

“I speak as someone with two children who enjoy their school meals, and I want the school to go on winning the battle for school meals, rather than having to make the packed lunches.”


Members of LACA, the professional body for school caterers, were invited yesterday to the House of Commons to serve school lunch to MPs and their aides after PMQs to support the launch. National School Meals Week (NSMW), subtitled ‘the great school lunch’, will run 4-8 November. It is intended as a celebration of the best of school food.


‘Unfortunately, it is still the case that many parents base their current perceptions on historical memories,’ reads a statement on the NSMW website. Addressing this issue is key to the future success of the school food industry.’


The plan is for during the week, every pupil in England and Wales to have access to a free school meal. In doing so, the event will be the biggest sampling exercise of its kind and caterers will use the opportunity to highlight all that is great about school lunches. Although a number of caterers have said they will support the event, not all will be able to afford it.


To that end, LACA is asking for Government support and private funding to support the event, the cost of which is estimated to be less than £5m.

Schools are also being asked to support the cause by offering a free meal for one day during the week. ‘Whilst there is a cost to this, the benefits of non-users experiencing what a modern day school lunch is actually like should not be underestimated – these are our future customers,’ said the website