New digital school meals system in Sunderland will prevent unwanted 'prunes and custard'

Sunderland City Council oversees and helps to dish up thousands of term-time meals at 50 city primary schools.

Under new plans approved by council chiefs this week, a digital menu and pre-ordering system will be developed for hundreds of pupils attending the schools.

The service follows consultation and feedback from primary schools where there was an appetite for a new, updated electronic system.

Council bosses say the changes could help to increase uptake of healthy school meals, reduce food waste/costs, boost service efficiency and staff productivity and safeguard children with special dietary needs.

It is also hoped that the system will improve debt management at schools through integrated payment systems, improve the retention of current contracts and enhance the chance of winning new ones.

Councillor Louise Farthing, cabinet member for children, learning and skills, outlined the proposals at Tuesday’s (October 13) virtual cabinet meeting, which was held via videolink and broadcast on YouTube.

Following discussion, city leaders agreed to launch a procurement process to award a contract for the system.

The estimated cost is £250,000 over a five-year period, which represents the costs of annual licence fees based on 50 schools electing to have the service.

The council and schools would share the initial costs of the service before it moved to annual licensing fees.

Councillor Dr Geoff Walker, cabinet member for Healthy City, welcomed the scheme.

“It’s very very important in these difficult times with gross health inequalities across the city, that our young people are given a better start in life and this fits in very well with that overall strategy,” he said.

Deputy council leader, councillor Paul Stewart, added: “I think most of us will remember our childhoods when we were last in the queue for school dinners and we were left with the prunes and custard that nobody else wanted.

“This scheme will ensure that pupils will get the meal that they want while ensuring that it is a healthy meal.”

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