Celebrating 15 years of Newham’s front-running Eat for Free scheme

Posted May 23, 2024

Longest running primary free school meal scheme in the country
The 71 primary schools in the Eat for Free scheme serve more than 18,000 meals daily
Newham’s Cabinet members mark milestone by joining pupils for lunch

Newham’s pupils, teachers, school cooks and council are celebrating 15 years of Eat for Free in Newham. The scheme has ensured that every primary school child, regardless of their family income, has been offered a hot nutritious lunch since 2009. Over the past five years, the pioneering programme has also focused on developing grant conditions and principles that have seen Newham primary schools working to deliver whole school approaches to food, including growing and food literacy.

The milestone has been marked with a celebration over nourishing school meals at Curwen Primary School in Plaistow. On Wednesday 22 May, pupils and teachers were joined by Newham Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care and the Lead Member for Children and Young People. They all used the gathering as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made, while also considering how the scheme can be developed further.

Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care and Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Lead Member for Children and Young People said:

”We are delighted and extremely proud to be celebrating 15 years of Newham’s Eat for Free scheme – the longest running universal meals programme in the UK. We have made serving free, hot and nutritious meals to our young people every day a priority and we will continue to do so.

“The scheme is extremely important to us and we continue to develop it, in partnership with our local schools. The scheme is also important in terms of the sustainable sources of food used, the important role of educating our children in healthy eating and employing a local workforce, with the overwhelming majority living in Newham and receiving the London Living Wage.

“The feedback from our children is that they enjoy the range of meals served to them on a daily basis and the food they’re eating is having a positive impact on them in the classroom. We are looking forward to celebrating our next big milestone of fuelling the next generation in Newham.”

What began in Newham 15 years ago is now available to all primary school children in London with the launch of a capital-wide universal meals scheme in September 2023. This year, as part of this work, the Mayor of London is contributing significantly to the cost of the delivery of Eat For Free in Newham.

Nationally, only children in infant years and those from families on certain benefits receive a free meal. More than five million meals are served every year in Newham’s primary schools. The high levels of take up make school meals a thriving community wealth building industry in the borough, with the scheme’s grant conditions ensuring that jobs are at London Living Wage and other enhanced terms and conditions.

When Newham Council announced its Universal Free School Meals Pilot Introduction Strategy in 2009, a key consideration was to ensure all stakeholders were aware of the changes. The local authority has since worked closely with schools to ensure changes have been implemented appropriately, feedback is always considered and key challenges are worked through together.

Michael Hales, Chief Operating Officer of Juniper Ventures Limited and National Vice Chair Elect of LACA ltd – the school food people said:

“The whole Juniper team are delighted to be the leading provider of this invaluable scheme across Newham and prepare and deliver over 22,000 meals hot, healthy ad nutritious meals a day across the community and beyond ensuring improved academic achievement and behaviour in school and an easing of the financial burden on the local community.”

Juniper started trading as a LATCo in 2018 and is the largest of only five local authority-controlled catering services in London.

Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters said:

“Eat for Free is so much more than just a meal for all children in Newham. It’s a joined-up approach that is targeting children’s health and attainment, and it creates a school meal system that has the biggest possible impact on the local food economy.” 