Primary school pupils in Bolton have been enjoying school meals for £1.25 since September 2011. Nationally the price is £1.98 on average for a school lunch and in the North West the average price is £2.00.
The promotion was due to finish in December but now thousands of children can tuck into a nutritious meal at the discounted price until the end of March 2013.
The council has introduced a number of price promotions for school meals to increase the uptake, including free dinners for reception classes and a £1 offer was in place from January 2010 to September 2011.
This has seen the number of school meals being served in Bolton’s primary schools increase from 2.4 million in 2009 to 2.9 million in 2012 or approximately 3700 more meals being served daily.
Leader of Bolton Council, councillor Cliff Morris, said: “We want to continue to help parents afford a healthy lunch in this tough financial climate.
“We are also trying to make a difference to the long term health of our young people. Our school lunches are varied, tasty and include some traditional family favourites.”
The council’s new winter menu includes dishes such as roast beef served with roast potatoes and vegetables, wholemeal breaded cod and Italian lasagne. The school meals service in Bolton has also been shortlisted in the category of Best Performer at the Association for Public Sector Excellence (APSE) awards. The awards will take place on December 7.