Missing school meals crisis averted at last-minute of first day

Rumbling tummies and hurled pots and pans were eventually avoided as the problem was resolved, but not without some concern from schools who had started the new year with bare fridges and freezers.
Robert Sandilands Primary School in Newbury was one which opened despite no sign of the catering firm, ISS Caterhouse, which had won the £1m school meals contract in April.
The headmaster, Richard Blofeld, said he had an angry cook and was not looking forward to explaining the situation to a group of hungry school pupils, before the kitchen cavalry arrived at 10.30am.
West Berkshire Council changed its school meals policy this summer and put out a new tender to manage the service in a bid to save cash.
A spokesman for West Berkshire Council, Keith Ulyatt, said: “The ingredients were delivered yesterday to most of the 70 schools due them, but three or four of those 70 did not get all their ingredients until this morning. To make sure meals are fresh, ingredients are delivered to the schools and the schools cooks cook the meals.
“With a brand new contract to that many schools, minor teething problems with deliveries from a new contractor are to be expected. “However, they have not affected school meals for the children who will get them today as planned.”