At least one primary school in South Holland is poised to sever its links with a troubled meals provider.
It comes after Spalding’s Monkshouse Primary School was forced to text parents at 9.30pm on Monday asking them to supply packed lunches for all children due to receive a hot lunch the following day.
Its school meals provider – Food 4 Thought GB – had been told to stop operating earlier in the day by the local authorities serving Boston and Sleaford, where two of the company’s kitchens are based.
Boston Borough Council and North Kesteven District Council said the company was operating illegally in continuing to provide meals because it didn’t have the necessary licences after going into liquidation.
However, Food 4 Thought claims the notices served by the councils were invalid, despite the action being supported by the Food Standards Agency.
It marks another troubled chapter in the history of Food 4 Thought, which was handed a court bill for £18,230 in March after pleading guilty to 12 food hygiene charges.
This week the firm told The Voice that it suffered significant negative impact and loss in trade resulting from that court case. Its board took the decision to close the operations of and subsequently voluntarily liquidate one of the group companies on November 4.
A spokesman said: “In order for the business operation to develop and recover it was essential to have a clean start.
“A new investment in excess of £200,000 was agreed to be introduced to the service, but only subject to the restructuring of operations, including the appointment of a different board of directors.”
Food 4 Thought’s two affected kitchens reopened yesterday (Wednesday), providing hot meals to all schools.
The firm supplies several South Holland schools. However, Monkshouse headteacher Sue Goodsell told parents: “It is now likely that we will tender our resignation to Food 4 Thought and will inform you of our new provider at a later time.”
With uncertainty over what Food 4 Thought would be able to provide, parents were asked to provide packed lunches again yesterday.
Mrs Goodsell told The Voice that the turmoil this week was unwanted and her priority was to ensure children were given “access to quality food”.
UPDATE (Thursday): Ideal Catering Group has taken over the former operations of Food 4 Thought and has been granted permission to resume its full school meals service from premises in Boston and Sleaford.
Ideal Catering Group company director Caroline Clark said: “We are grateful of the opportunity to resolve all outstanding matters and resume our full service providing children with their lunches.”
Environmental Health Officers from North Kesteven District Council and Boston Borough Council will be contacting all schools affected to reassure them of the current position.
