THE cost of school meals across will increase by five pence across Hampshire.

The increase takes the price per meal to £2.15 and will come into effect from April 1 this year.

Cllr Keith Mans, executive lead member for children’s services, said: “We’re very proud of the high standard of school meals that our catering service (HC3S) provides.

"A healthy lunch at school contributes significantly to a child’s wellbeing and their capacity to learn, through to the end of the school day.

"I am keen that school meals remain affordable but we must balance this against the increasing cost of providing those meals, including higher charges for ingredients.

"It is my view that the proposal to raise the cost of each meal by small increments, over time, will avoid sudden, dramatic price hikes further down the line, and ensure that the price rise is manageable.”

More than 70,000 healthy school meals are served in Hampshire’s primary and secondary schools across the county daily.