Council signs up to food discount scheme to offer half price school meals

HALF price school meals will be on offer across the isles up until the end of August after Shetland Islands Council signed up to the UK government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

The national scheme offers discounts on eating out in restaurants and cafes up to the value of £10 per head throughout the month of August, for the first three days of the week.

The council’s catering and cleaning team leader Neil Beattie said: “By applying the Eat Out to Help Out scheme to local school meals we hope that young people in Shetland can access food that is both healthy and affordable.

“Many families may have struggled financially during lockdown and we hope that the reduced costs for school meals will give young people and families a helping hand.”

All children who are signed up for Parent Pay will automatically take advantage of this offer, whilst children using the cash cafeterias will be charged at half the normal price. Free meals still apply to those who are eligible.

Current prices for school meals in Shetland are £2.20 per meal for primary pupils and £2.60 per meal for those in secondary.

Under the government scheme these costs would be halved on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays until the end of August.