Hampshire County Council is proposing to close its education catering service and stop providing school meals by March 31, 2026, citing significant financial stress.

The council is consulting with schools and nurseries which use the service on two potential options to meet their catering needs in the future.

The options under consideration are:

1. Independent Catering Provision: Schools and nurseries could arrange their own catering services. The Council highlighted that there is a well-established and active private sector market of school food providers in Hampshire, from which schools can choose.

2. Managed Outsourcing: Alternatively, the County Council could manage an outsourced service, where it would procure and oversee meal provision from alternative providers on behalf of the schools and nurseries.

(Image: PA)

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The move comes as the council's education catering service, formerly known as HC3S, has struggled with increasing food and staffing costs.

To cover these rising expenses, the council has had to increase the price of school meals, which exceeded the funding provided by the government.

This pricing disparity has led to a loss of business, making the continuation of the in-house service financially unviable in the long term, the county council said.

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “While we are exceptionally proud of all that our Education Catering service has achieved, including national recognition as a leader in its field, with several awards and an ongoing commitment to UK sourced produce, the financial challenges we are facing mean that our priority must now be the provision of statutory services.

"With the considerable cost increases we are facing, which remain unmatched by an equivalent increase in the funding received directly by schools, we must regrettably consider closing this discretionary service. However, we will continue to lobby Government for additional funding for schools to provide good quality meals. 

“All existing school and nursery customers of the Education Catering service have been informed of the consultation and we will ensure that their feedback is fully reviewed and considered ahead of any future decisions. We are grateful for the support that staff and customers have shown for the Education Catering service throughout what continues to be a very challenging period in the school food industry, both locally and nationally.”

The consultation process, which runs until Friday, October 11, also seeks feedback on a proposal to cease all services related to the maintenance of catering equipment owned by its customers.

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All existing school and nursery customers of the service have been notified and their feedback will be carefully considered before any final decisions are made.

The outcome of the consultation and a recommended course of action will be presented to Cllr Steve Forster, the county council’s Cabinet member for education, at a Decision Day meeting in November.

Should the decision be made to proceed with the closure, further consultation and engagement with stakeholders, including staff and trade unions, will follow.