Full Breakdown
Jersey Expands School Meal Programme to Include Fresh Fruit
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Announcement
In September, the Jersey government announced that fresh fruit will be added to the hot-school-meal programme that serves government-run primary schools. The change is part of a contract with UK-based Apetito Limited, which supplies the meals across the island.
Background & Context
The move follows a previously free-fruit scheme that the Education and Lifelong Learning Minister, Catherine Curtis, said generated “a lot of wastage.” Parents had asked that fruit be incorporated into the existing hot-meal programme instead of being offered separately. The minister has highlighted that the earlier scheme did not lead to a significant rise in children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.
Official Statements & Responses
Minister Curtis explained that the fresh-fruit addition aims to address cost-of-living pressures for families while providing healthier meals for children. She described the Apetito contract as the “best available option” and clarified that the meals are frozen rather than artificially preserved, responding to public concerns about freshness. Curtis also expressed a desire to see the funded meals extended further, emphasizing the potential benefit to household budgets and child nutrition.
What’s Next
Minister Curtis indicated an intention to broaden the reach of the funded meals, but no specific timeline or additional policy measures were detailed in the available statements.