**Swansea Councillors Head Back to the School Canteen as Welsh Government Eyes Healthier Lunches**
In a move designed to bridge the gap between local policy and real-life outcomes, Swansea councillors will soon find themselves dining in school canteens, sampling the very meals now under scrutiny amid potential changes to national guidelines for children’s food. This return to the school lunch queue comes as Welsh ministers weigh proposals intended to foster healthier diets among primary school pupils, including a reduction in fried foods, processed meats and sugary treats.
The forthcoming experience was prompted by a recent meeting of the council’s education and skills service transformation committee. Councillors had gathered to hear from those working on the frontline of school catering, and the insights clearly made an impression. Currently, the scale of the operation is significant: Swansea Council’s catering service dishes up over 12,000 primary school lunches daily, another 7,000 in secondary schools, and also handles breakfast provision. Around 550 staff keep the kitchens running, providing both cooked breakfast and mid-morning snacks in many secondary schools.
Kelly Small, head of education planning and resources at the council, outlined the current situation for committee members, describing the existing offerings as “nice and balanced.” Yet, she warned, significant revisions could follow if the Welsh Government’s proposals move forward. The focus, she explained, is likely to shift further towards fruit, vegetables and wholegrain breads, with reductions targeting cakes, cheese and high-salt options.
The committee meeting revealed the widely acknowledged challenge of changing children’s eating habits. Alison Cosker, Swansea’s team manager for education, catering and cleaning, emphasised that while some government recommendations would be easier to adopt, limiting cakes and sweet desserts, often a major draw for children, might undermine efforts to persuade pupils to take up school meals. She noted that, as a preventative move, fruit juices are already off the menu due to their high sugar content, and a new 50% wholemeal loaf has replaced previous bread choices to boost fibre.
At present, Swansea primary schools offer one meat and one vegetarian main dish per lunch sitting, helped by the Wales-wide rollout of universal free school meals. This expansion has seen a one-third increase in meal production across the city. Weekly menus typically showcase a balance of familiar favourites and healthier choices: from meatballs and tomato pasta on Mondays, through chicken curry and pizza, to roast turkey, macaroni cheese, and, on Fridays, baked fish or cheese wraps, with fresh fruit always available.
Not all feedback, however, was glowing. Some pupils have proven difficult to win over, particularly when pre-prepared meals are served. Councillor Beverley Hopkins pointed out that certain potato-based products did not find favour among children at one local school. Ms Cosker frankly acknowledged that encouraging children to try different types of cooked potatoes remains an ongoing battle, reiterating the importance of serving food that’s not only compliant with standards but appealing to youngsters as well.
Portion sizes, too, featured in the discussion. Cllr Lyndon Jones recalled less-than-pleasant memories of his own school meals, lamenting the days of beetroot, potato, gravy and meat. He, along with others, flagged recent concerns from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales about older primary pupils still feeling hungry after lunch. Ms Cosker explained that portion sizes historically have not varied with age – five-year-olds and 11-year-olds received similar helpings – but this looks set to change under the Welsh government’s revised plan.
The transformation committee also learned that virtually all state schools in Swansea rely on the council’s bespoke catering service, with just two exceptions: Olchfa School and Morriston Comprehensive School source meals elsewhere. The committee is not stopping at food sampling alone; plans also include launching a food waste monitoring initiative and a pupil-focused survey to better understand satisfaction and areas for improvement.
Perhaps the most memorable moment came from committee chair, Councillor Mike Durke, who confessed to have never eaten a school dinner in his youth due to being a notoriously picky eater. “It’ll be a first for me,” he quipped, revealing that his childhood lunches were strictly home-made sandwiches.
As the Welsh Government’s public consultation on nutritious school food continues, the underlying motivation remains clear: promoting health and academic achievement through improved diets. For Swansea’s councillors about to return to the canteen, the exercise promises both a nostalgic culinary trip and a first-hand insight into the future of school dining.