They spoke not of an impending crisis, but one that is already here and full-blown.
They talked about funding that doesn’t cover the cost of producing a meal, leading to the situation now that increases in uptake don’t provide economies of scale but simply multiply the losses for operators.
The lack of money in the system and the soaring cost of living for the people working in it is lead staff to leave for better-paid jobs in supermarkets where staff discounts provide an added incentive.
They fear for the future of hot meals at many smaller, rural schools because it is simply uneconomic to provide them with a service.
Among the key messages the school food leaders want to focus on are: Increased funding; an extension of the eligibility for FSM to 800,000 children from families receiving Universal Credit who don’t currently qualify; Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) for all primary age children; and a whole-school approach to food education.
These are hugely worthy aims that will help struggling families right now and help create better long-term outcomes for children going through school. And the school meals service is ideally placed to help.
But the extent of the malaise is laid bare when you realise that even if the Government decided to extend FSM eligibility or introduce UFSM for all primary children, there is not the capacity right now to meet the increased demand.
Such moves would need to be phased in and supported by significant investment in school kitchen infrastructure and the recruitment and training of staff.
And the cost of each meal would need to be covered by any funding settlement.
We wish the LACA-led initiative to challenge the Government on these issues the very best of luck; with such a tall order they will need every bit of it.