Education Institutions - The cost of a school lunch in Hamburg increases.
The cost of a meal in Hamburg's schools is set to rise by 35 cents, capping at 4.70 euros for the upcoming academic year. This comes after an agreement reached between the city's authority and its school caterers, as announced on Thursday. The disagreement over pricing persisted for several weeks amid rising food and labor expenses and the reinstatement of the standard value-added tax in the catering sector.
As per the agreement, the catering firms can now charge up to 5.50 euros per meal starting the upcoming school year. The gap of 80 cents will be compensated by the city. There are over 16 million meals served every year in Hamburg's schools' canteens, with children from benefit-receiving families consuming the meals free of cost. Children from families with multiple school-age kids and a low income are on a social tier with discounted prices. Approximately 50% of the meals are either complimentary or at a discounted price.
The Health Minister, Ksenija Bekeris (SPD), reaffirmed that a nutritious, top-notch, and delicious meal is an element of the "Good Whole Day" at Hamburg's schools. She emphasized that, despite tight budgets, Hamburg is dedicated to supporting all families by offsetting the increased prices for all parents. The new pricing methodology is tied to the changes in food and labor prices and will be updated annually, according to the officials.
Over the past decade, Hamburg has invested over 290 million euros to develop or restore around 280 school dining halls and canteens. The municipality provides the entire school infrastructure free of cost to catering companies. In addition, the city plans to allocate 116 million euros to enhance the quality of life in these spaces in the coming years, with a considerable proportion going towards improving the kitchens and food prep areas.
