EXCLUSIVE – Warrington Borough Council is to stop subsidising its school meals service – putting the future of council-employed school meals staff under scrutiny and leaving schools to find alternative arrangements from September 2027.
The move follows a Warrington Worldwide investigation into the future of school meal provision in the borough, which revealed that sme council school meals staff had been warned that their jobs could be affected as the cash-strapped authority seeks to cut costs.
The council has now confirmed that its school meals service is running at a loss of around £500,000 a year – a subsidy it says it can no longer afford.
Cabinet member for Children and Education, Cllr Matt Smith, said: “Schools have a statutory responsibility to provide school meals and currently the council provides this service to many of its schools.
“Unfortunately, however, the service provided by the council is currently operating at a loss of approximately £500,000 per year and due to operational challenges, we have not always been able to offer this service to the highest standards – for example, at times we have been unable to provide hot meals.
“Over recent years, the council has reviewed the service, considered a number of options and taken steps to try and ensure that the service remains as sustainable as possible, and this has included increasing the cost of school meals.”
He warned that removing the subsidy while retaining the existing service would mean a significant increase in the cost of meals.
The council estimates that the price would have to rise initially to £3.60 per meal simply to bridge the 2026/27 funding gap, with prices potentially exceeding £4 per meal in subsequent years as costs rise.
Cllr Smith said: “The council cannot afford to continue to subsidise school meals.”
Instead, schools will be required to work with the council to determine how they will fulfil their statutory responsibility to provide school meals from September 2027.
That could mean schools taking the service in-house or appointing an external catering company.
The decision has potentially significant implications for the 249 people currently employed in the council’s school meals service.
Of those, up to seven staff responsible for central management, support and delivery could be placed at risk of redundancy over the next 12 months.
The council stresses that there is no immediate threat to those seven jobs and says their position will depend on the arrangements ultimately adopted by schools.
It also says there are currently no implications for the remaining 242 school meals staff, with meals continuing to be provided while the transition is worked through.
However, the announcement raises questions over how many of the existing school meals jobs will remain within the council service once schools begin making their own arrangements.
The council says staff employment rights will be protected by TUPE legislation if the service transfers to schools or another contractor.
Cllr Smith said the authority wanted to ensure that the new arrangements delivered “good quality and affordable school meals” while supporting as many jobs as possible.
He acknowledged that the situation would be unsettling for both staff and families.
The council has also admitted that an earlier letter was circulated prematurely to a small number of staff, before the review had been formally published.
Cllr Smith said the council had subsequently met with trade unions and was seeking their support during the transition.
The latest development comes as Warrington Borough Council continues to face intense financial pressures, with the authority having to identify substantial savings and reduce spending across its services.
The school meals decision highlights the growing pressure on council-run services as the authority looks to reduce expenditure – with a £500,000 annual subsidy now deemed unaffordable.
For parents, schools and staff, the immediate issue is what replaces the existing service – and whether the transition can be achieved without reducing the quality or affordability of meals or resulting in significant job losses.
The council says school meals will continue to be provided during the transition period, with new arrangements expected to be in place for the 2027/28 academic year.
