The School Food People to host Great School Lunch event in Westminster
The event is sponsored by Dr Beccy Cooper MP, Emma Lewell MP and Amanda Hack MP, demonstrating growing parliamentary engagement with the future of school food provision.
Every day school caterers across the UK provide millions of nutritious meals that support children’s health, concentration and readiness to learn. For many pupils, a school lunch is the most nutritious meal of the day—playing a critical role in attendance, behaviour and attainment.
However, despite its importance, the sector is facing mounting challenges. Food prices have risen by approximately 50% since 2020, with further increases expected due to ongoing energy pressures. At the same time, schools and providers are contending with sustained rises in labour, energy and compliance costs.
Many schools are now subsidising meal provision from already stretched core budgets - by an estimated £10,000 per school annually - while some providers, including local authority services, have begun to exit the sector altogether.
Funding for free school meals in England also lags behind other parts of the UK. From 2026/27, funding in England stands at £2.66 per meal, compared to £3.40 in Wales, £3.20 in Scotland, and approximately £3.00 in London. This disparity places additional pressure on schools and threatens the long-term sustainability of provision.
The School Food People are calling for urgent action to secure the future of school meals, including:
- An increase in funding to at least £3.45 per meal
- Index-linking funding to reflect inflationary pressures
- A long-term, sustainable funding framework to provide certainty for schools, caterers and local authorities
The School Food People says that without reform, there is a growing risk to food quality, menu choice, workforce stability and schools’ ability to deliver meals without diverting funding from education.
The Great School Lunch 2026 aims to bring these issues to the forefront of national conversation, reinforcing the message that properly funded school food is essential to supporting every child’s readiness to learn. The meal at the event will be prepared and served by members of The School Food People, with special thanks to Impact Food Group for their support.