Read on Twitter
Not to get political on main (hahahahahaha) but the company responsible for this, Chartwells, which the Tories handed the school meals contract to, has prior form in depriving children of food, so it's hard not to read deliberate intent into this:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teacher-slams-free-meals-provider-21757484 https://twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teacher-slams-free-meals-provider-21757484 https://twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576
The food provided in these 'hampers' (lol) is worth just over £5, but Chartwells was given £30 per 'hamper', so they're profiting off child poverty. https://twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348651751759609859
They also have close personal links with the Tory party; Paul Walsh, ex chairman of the Compass Group, to which Chartwells belongs, used to be on David Cameron's business advisory group, and signed an open letter urging the public to vote Tory in 2015
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2015/apr/01/tory-100-industry-captains-party-donors-tax-avoiders
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2015/apr/01/tory-100-industry-captains-party-donors-tax-avoiders
Even in 2015, Chartwells' reputation for providing school meals was pretty abysmal, with issues in the supply chain and poor preparation meaning that many children didn't receive anything to eat.
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13877834.controversial-school-meals-provider-chartwells-wins-catering-company-of-the-year/
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13877834.controversial-school-meals-provider-chartwells-wins-catering-company-of-the-year/
The Compass Group to which Chartwells belongs has an extensive history of controversy, perhaps most notably in Britain the horse meat scandal. In 2016, Compass USA reached an $18m settlement for overcharging on its school meals in the NY district. https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2012/09/19/compass-group-to-pay-18m-for-school.html
I wonder if there's any link between the fact that multiple life peers in the House of Lords are shareholders in the Compass Group... surely not (both 'non-affiliated' chaps here are Tory donors to the tune of several £mil)
https://members.parliament.uk/members/lords/interests/register-of-lords-interests?SearchTerm=compass&ShowAmendments=False
https://members.parliament.uk/members/lords/interests/register-of-lords-interests?SearchTerm=compass&ShowAmendments=False
All of which is to say that it's absolute garbage that the government awarded a contract for school meal provision to a company with a documented history of not providing the meals promised, and overcharging for the privilege.