School catering company Dolce has warned parents that 'the supply chain to the school catering sector is under great pressure, as is the availability of qualified staff to cover for Covid absences and to recruit to fill vacancies'.
While it's doing everything it can to avoid disruption, the company has told families that it's sometimes unavoidable, and menus have had to be reduced or changed to packed lunch.
At Great Academy Ashton, in Tameside, only sandwiches have been offered since the beginning of the school year because of a delay getting catering equipment.
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A text message sent to parents at the beginning of September said: Due to a delay on the arrival of our new catering equipment we can only serve sandwiches & cold refreshments. We'll let you know when hot food service will start.
One mum told the Manchester Evening News: Supply is causing school serious issues, not just with food. They haven't offered hot food for ages now. My son won't eat sandwiches so he's coming home starving as he isn't eating between 8am and 3pm.
The parent of a child from Hazel Grove Primary, which sent the message to parents from caterers Dolce, said: They seem to be having a lot more vegetarian stuff as replacement foods from what the kids are saying, but we've had no further update from school as yet.
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It comes as parents at All Saints Primary in Heaton Norris have been told lunch will be limited to sandwiches for the next two days because the 'lunch provider cannot send us a cook' and schools in Lancashire have also seen a reduction to their menus until at least October half term.
Pupils are being given either soup and choice of sandwich with accompaniments and salad bar or baked potato with a variety of fillings and salad bar.
One parent who works in school catering told us he's having 'many supply issues' - with peas, Cheerios, bite size Shredded Wheat, Quorn mince, spring water, paninis and gluten free items just a few of the items they're struggling to get hold of.
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As yet we are still providing hot meals, he said. As part of a large school caterer, we have to purchase from a national food supplier.
As a caterer at a private school I have had to make several runs to supermarkets to fill the gaps. We are in a better position than state schools as I have a petty cash fund.
Is your child's school struggling to provide hot meals or running with a reduced menu? Let us know in the comments here.
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