UNISON is joining in celebrating the third International School Meals Day today, as the day is marked with a celebration of culture through food.
This is just one of many aspects of the service that places it at the heart of a school and its efforts for children and young people.
UNISON wants to take the opportunity today to say thank you to the hardworking staff that make that possible.
They have been through tumultuous changes over the decades, often being faced with new employers and contracts, and a loss of resources that have made it much harder to do the good job that they want to, including dow-grading the service as it moved to fast food or disappeared altogether.
Then, in 2005, it was all change again with the introduction of strict new nutritional standards and hot, made-from-scratch food.
Sometimes school meals staff faced this new agenda without the kitchen, equipment or staff to deliver it, but dedication saw them through.
Since the School Food Plan was introduced, staff have had to rise to the occasion yet again.
They have had to adjust to a new set of food standards and universal free school meals for infants – an exciting but pressured challenge.
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis is urging everyone to thank the staff that feed our children.
“At last, it is recognised that pupils don’t learn on an empty stomach,” he says.
“They don’t grow or thrive. Our members in the school meals service work extremely hard to make sure that children have nutritious and tasty fuel for thought, well-being and a future.
“They are as important as any member of the school team and today we should recognise that and thank them.”