Wokingham

Healthy, tasty and balanced food to get schoolchildren’s taste buds tingling is set to be considered tonight (Thursday March 30) by Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive.

The Wokingham education catering services contract expires on July 31, 2006 and the ten-strong executive will consider tenders from a short-list of two companies. Proposals have been invited for a hot, fresh, cooked meal service. School meals will have an emphasis on healthy eating and Wokingham district council will be asking the new contractor to continue reducing the use of processed food and instead to use local and organic fresh ingredients and make general improvements to the overall quality of food on offer to schoolchildren.

Due to a central government grant ceasing and the cost implications of fresh ingredients in line with government standards, there will need to be a price increase which will be negotiated between the council and the successful contractor.

Part of the cost of a new menu will be funded by Wokingham District Council who are committed to providing healthy meals made from fresh ingredients as well as keeping the cost to parents at a minimum. The executive will be asked to consider subsidising the school meals contract through the direct support grant which will equate to £67,000 in 2006/07, rising to £100,000 in subsequent years.

Wokingham council has also consulted with schools, parents and children on what type of school meal they would like to see and what they would be willing to pay. Over 1300 responses were received.

Peter Watson, Wokingham corporate head of procurement, said: “The district council has undertaken a consultation with parents to ask them to consider what is a fair and reasonable price to pay for a school meal. We are particularly keen to keep the price increase at a minimum and we hope the executive will endorse this by agreeing to subsidise the contract.

“We have worked hard to develop a contract for school meals, which will bring nutritional benefit to all children.”

David Hawthorne, corporate head of Wokingham children’s services (education), said: “Following healthy lifestyles is one of the priorities in the district council’s plan for children and young people, due to launched in April. There is evidence that children’s social physical and academic performance is linked to what they eat. Improving the contract of school meals will help children’s development. As well as educational benefits, it will also help address childhood obesity. Healthy eating is important for everyone.”

Wokingham District Council