Hot school meals (FOI)

Request

Please provide the following information in respect of the planned provision of hot food to primary schools in the 2024 to 2025 academic year under the Government of Jersey hot meals programme following the termination of the previously announced Spring and Summer 2023 pilot programme. 

A

How many providers will be supplying hot meals to the Government of Jersey primary schools? Of these providers, please indicate if they are:

i) a private business

ii) other States department

iii) non Jersey head-quartered supplier or

iv) Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) or the school itself. 

B

Please confirm whether any of the providers will serve frozen or ambient ready-made meals that will not be prepared in Jersey by providers and imported from UK or elsewhere and if so, how many primary schools will serve meals imported to the island ready-made.

C

Please confirm whether there any specific percentages or other requirements to use local produce.

D

Please advise the method by which food allergies will be catered for, and how allergen information will be supplied to those children with food allergies.

Response

A

There are currently two providers taking part in the pilot programme of school meals. These consist of one local and one off-island food supplier, however all locally employed people working in Jersey Schools. 

B

As at July 2024, six schools had meals prepared in Jersey distributed to schools for service and six schools were providing meals that had been produced off-island.

The provider refers to these meals as ‘premium pre-prepared meals’ and notes the following:

‘All our recipes & meals are developed in our Wiltshire kitchens by our expert Chefs, Nutritionists and Dietitians, and are frozen to lock in nutrients and taste. We freeze our meals within 1 hour to guarantee that nutritional values do not deteriorate over time. These experts support the compliance to nutritional guidelines and ensure safety for children eating our food via our state-of-the art laboratories on-site. We utilise high-quality ingredients from 'best in class' suppliers whilst operating with the utmost respect and care for our employees, our partners, and the planet. The latter can be showcased via the latest King's Award for Sustainable Development.’

​C

There are no specific percentages or other requirements to use local produce. The incorporation of local produce is part of ​the Government of Jersey's work throughout the pilot period and will always ensure the use of local produce where feasible.

D

Parents register food allergies as part of the sign-up process, allergen information is available on all menu options. Once allergies are listed on the ordering system the menu will be adapted to ensure no meals containing specific allergens are included as menu choices. Allergen information is also listed on each class list per day.​