Thousands of Anglesey families will benefit from a decision to cut the price of primary school meals later this year.

The County Council has just awarded a new five-year school meals contract to Chartwells.

The new £8m contract will see the specialist school catering company feeding more than 9,500 pupils from September onwards.

Retendering the contract has provided financial savings, some of which will be used by the Council’s Executive to subsidise the cost of primary school meals further.

From 1 September 2021, the cost of a primary school meal will be reduced by 30p to £2.20.

Council Leader, Councillor Llinos Medi, said: “The last 12 months have been tough on many families, especially those on low incomes. Retendering the school meals contract has provided our Executive with an opportunity to help families by reducing the cost of primary school meals.

“The decision will benefit the thousands of parents who pay for their children’s meals, as well as many other Anglesey Council Tax payers as the benefits of revenue savings are also passed on them.

She added: “There’s been a drop in the number of children choosing school meals in recent years, and we hope this decision will also encourage a greater take up of school meals in our primaries.”

Chartwells forms part of the Compass Group that operates within the UK and other markets around the world.

They already have an established Welsh portfolio and work closely with the Welsh Government, having recently launched ‘Compass Cymru’, a localized offering which puts food, wellbeing and economic contribution in Wales at the heart of everything it does.

The new contract begins on August 1st with Chartwells preparing meals for all schools on the Island, primary, secondary and special from September 2nd.

Education Portfolio Holder, Councillor Meirion Jones, said: “We are pleased to award the contract to Chartwells following a lengthy and robust competitive tender process. The evaluation panel was made up of Council officers, head teachers representatives and an independent catering consultant.”

“This is an important new contract which will ensure that our pupils and staff continue to receive a healthy and wholesome school meal.”

Under existing employment legislation, Anglesey based management team and school-catering staff (currently employed by Caterlink Ltd) will automatically transfer onto the Chartwells payroll under their present terms of employment. Schools and catering staff have already been reassured that no jobs are at risk.

The cafeteria-style system adopted in the Island’s secondary schools will remain in place as part of the new contract.