Free School Meals at the cost of dignity

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Food parcel quality

In this episode I explore the most recent free school meals scandal. I take a look at the current evidence of shockingly poor quality and quantities of food provisioned by Chartwell (Compass Food Group) and compare it to Labour led council provisions. This was initially spotlighted by Roadside Mum on Twitter.

#FreeSchoolMeals bag for 10 days:
2 days jacket potato with beans
8 single cheese sandwiches
2 days carrots
3 days apples
2 days soreen
3 days frubes
Spare pasta & tomato. Will need mayo for pasta salad.
Issued instead of £30 vouchers. I could do more with £30 to be honest. pic.twitter.com/87LGUTHXEu

— Roadside Mum (@RoadsideMum) January 11, 2021

I ask why this might have occurred, was it due to the prevailing atmosphere created by Ben Bradley, or is it a peculiarly Conservative stance?

More importantly though, wouldn’t it be better if we simply treated parents with some dignity? And even better, why not bring all of this back into state ownership?

Email sent to Compass Food Group

I refer to this story in the Yorkshire evening Post, dated 12th January:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/education/leeds-education-chief-shares-photo-council-food-hamper-mp-blasts-outsourcing-giants-3093951
Here is the link to the Leeds Councillors Twitter account in question:

A comparison between one example of a private provider for Free School Meals, & Leeds City Council’s in-house @catering_leeds box for next week. For this box we get £11.70 for 5 days to replace school lunches. Privatising doesn’t work. pic.twitter.com/CoLDO2Gx5V

— Jonathan Pryor (@Jonathan_Pryor) January 12, 2021

It appears to show a publicly procured hamper of food and one from yourselves, privately procured. It appears to show a significant difference between the two methods. Would you care to comment?

I would also be interested in a comment from you relating to the apparent difference between food supplied from Chartwell’s for home schooling during the pandemic to that provided by Chartwell’s Independent, the popular opinion being that you favour the well-heeled. What would you say to this?

Interesting to see how Chartwells, of pathetic free school meal ‘hamper’ fame, appear to have different standards for the food they supply to private schools pic.twitter.com/Vr1Jne2XK8

— Dawn Foster (@DawnHFoster) January 12, 2021

Bibliography

‘Ben Bradley Urged to Apologise over Free School Meals Tweets’. The Guardian, 24 Oct. 2020, http://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/24/ben-bradley-under-pressure-to-apologise-over-free-school-meals-tweets.

Bunn et al. – Kathryn Browne Senior Buyer.Pdf. https://assets.nhs.uk/prod/documents/SFVS-factfile-2017.pdf. Accessed 13 Jan. 2021.

Bunn, Tracey-Anne, et al. Kathryn Browne Senior Buyer. p. 16.

Channel 4 News. ‘“It’s Only Their Lunch. It’s Not All Meals Every Day. It’s Enough for Lunches for a Child for a Week… Usually.” Tory MP Pauline Latham Defends the Free School Meals Policy. Https://T.Co/E6SlY9LZw4’. @Channel4News, 12 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1349089927120769027.

Chartwells. ‘Please See below Our Full Statement on the Provision of Free School Lunch Food Parcels. Https://T.Co/AsHzTJCe3l’. @Chartwells_UK, 12 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/Chartwells_UK/status/1349050962531528705.

Food Standards Agency. ‘We’re Aware the #FreeSchoolMeals Conversation Has Raised Some Concerns around Potential Food Safety Issues. All Food Is Subject to Food Law. If Food Is Past Its Use-by Date or If You’ve Other Food Safety Concerns, Report It to the Relevant Local Authority: Https://T.Co/SQMJ0viku2’. @foodgov, 12 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/foodgov/status/1349012626278404097.

Leeds Education Chief Shares Photo of Council Food Hamper – as MP Blasts ‘Outsourcing Giants’. https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/education/leeds-education-chief-shares-photo-council-food-hamper-mp-blasts-outsourcing-giants-3093951. Accessed 12 Jan. 2021.

Owen Williams . ‘A Close-up of the Tuna in a Coin Bag. The UK Government Is Despicable. The United Kingdom Needs to Break Apart. Start over. A Complete Reset. Because This – Whatever the Hell This Is – Is Categorically Not Working… Https://T.Co/EEWiPEr6bB’. @OwsWills, 12 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/OwsWills/status/1349103131205005312.

Roadside Mum . ‘#FreeSchoolMeals Bag for 10 Days: 2 Days Jacket Potato with Beans 8 Single Cheese Sandwiches 2 Days Carrots 3 Days Apples 2 Days Soreen 3 Days Frubes Spare Pasta & Tomato. Will Need Mayo for Pasta Salad. Issued Instead of £30 Vouchers. I Could Do More with £30 to Be Honest. Https://T.Co/87LGUTHXEu’. @RoadsideMum, 11 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576.

The Agitator. ‘Just 3 Months Ago 300 Tories Voted against Feeding Hungry Children during a Deadly Pandemic. Here They Are and This Is What They Claim in Expenses from the Taxes Those Families Pay. #RightToFood #ToriesStarveKids #ToryScum Https://T.Co/6gVH30Fa0T’. @UKDemockery, 12 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/UKDemockery/status/1349044440040693765.

Thelma Walker. ‘This Been Sent out Too. No Words…. Https://T.Co/PwksG1uEaz’. @Thelma_DWalker, 12 Jan. 2021, https://twitter.com/Thelma_DWalker/status/1349052183564713985.

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