London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Lorry driver shortage blamed for Lancashire school dinner menu cuts

Lorry driver shortage blamed for Lancashire school dinner menu cuts

About 500 schools will be offering a reduced lunch menu from next week due to the national lorry driver shortage.

Lancashire County Council (LCC), which provides 65,000 meals a day, said food deliveries were being hit by the issue.

Education bosses have still promised a healthy meal every day for each child while stock levels are replenished.

From Monday, schools will focus on providing jacket potatoes, soups and sandwiches rather than a full menu. Fresh fruit will still be available.

Yogurt and daily dessert options, as well as fresh organic milk or drinking water, complete the temporary menus.

Jayne Rear, the county council's cabinet member for education and skills, said: "We're reducing the menu for all our schools to make it fair for everybody.

"We will reduce it for a couple of weeks so we can replenish our stocks hopefully to be back running after half-term.

"It has been so, so difficult to recruit drivers and it is across the country and we are doing all we can."

As the fourth largest authority in England, LCC procures a large amount of food and drink, with 80% of meals freshly prepared and cooked in school kitchens.

The authority said it has strict specifications for its school meals.

All of its suppliers are classified as "local" while 75% of the food it purchases is produced in the UK.

Jayne Rear hopes full menus will be restored after half-term


Julie Goodwin, headteacher of St Lawrence CE Primary School in Barton, said: "I'm happy the menu we are providing meets all the nutritional requirements.

"We are going to try and jig it around a little bit.

"The bottom line is that they are going to get a warm meal and there will be a variety. We know our children well and we will be able to cater for everybody."


 Headteacher Julie Goodwin says her pupils will be fed properly


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×