THE price of freshly cooked school meals could increase by 15p in a bid to maintain value for money.

Despite financial pressures caused by rising costs from the impact of the National Living Wage and food inflation, Hampshire County Council (HCC) is set to review the pricing of school meals.

From September 2018, the price of meals at Hampshire schools could be set to rise from £2.15 to £2.30.

The increase would bring the price per meal in line with those charged by many other local authorities, as well as the Department for Education’s funding for Universal Infant Free School Meals, which is set at £2.30.

In the last school year HC3S, the county council’s award winning catering business, cooked and served over 14 million school meals in Hampshire’s primary and secondary schools.

HCC’s executive lead member for children’s services, Cllr Keith Mans said he is keen for school meals to remain affordable, while not losing out on the quality of food being served to students.

Cllr Mans said: “There are a number of factors that I will be sure to take into account when making a decision on whether or not to increase the price of school meals in Hampshire.

“I am keen that school meals remain affordable but there is a balance to be struck between being able to continue to maintain such prices and meeting the increasing and unavoidable costs associated with providing those meals. In any final decision that I make, I will want to ensure the agreed price is manageable.”

As far as possible, HC3S sources the ingredients for school meals from local suppliers, with many vegetables and salads being supplied by local south coast growers when in season.

This has led to an emphasis on quality meals which meets the Department for Education standards, this includes food being nut free, offering a range of gluten free items and having tailored menus for children who have medically proven food allergies.