Cost of a school meal
Recommendations
- Index-link meal prices for free school meals and universal infant free school meals
- Introduce national free school meal auto-enrolment to improve access and economies of scale
- Ensure funding transparency, efficient procurement and ring-fence school food budgets
- Establish a quality tariff of <1% per meal to enable local councils to recruit school food improvement officers who can monitor quality, support schools and help deliver a whole-school approach to food
Read the full Cost of a School Meal report (2024)
School Food Matters, with funding from Impact on Urban Health, commissioned Bremner & Co and Cohesion Consulting to complete this research project to determine what it costs to produce delicious, nutritious and sustainable lunches in England’s schools.
The study found a 63p per meal funding gap: while the funding rate at the time of the study was £2.53, the “true cost” of sustainably sourced, quality ingredients, staff training and labour was calculated at £3.16. This gap highlights the challenges schools and caterers face in providing meals that meet school food standards and are accessible to all children.
The research explored how schools and caterers are meeting or exceeding standards and identified lessons in quality, efficiency and access.
Examples of effective practice
- Investing in equipment and staffing to serve fresh, nutritious meals
- Implementing specific strategies to improve uptake of school meals, including for children eligible for free school meals
- Delivering a whole-school approach to food, ensuring nutrition is prioritised across the school day
The report also makes practical recommendations to address the funding gap and support high-quality meals for every child.
