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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Richard Adams Education editor

More pupils in England and Wales unable to afford school meals, say caterers

Child holding school meal on tray.
In a survey of caterers, more than half reported a drop in demand for school lunches. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

School caterers warn that more children are “falling through the cracks” because of the cost of living crisis, with many reporting a steep fall in the number of pupils able to pay for school meals amid rising food costs and shortages.

A survey by Laca, the school caterers trade body, revealed that beef and chicken were disappearing from school lunch menus because of rising prices, with many companies reporting that even staples such as potatoes and pasta were increasingly expensive and difficult to source.

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