The latest news and headlines from City Catering
Creative Writing Competition 2025
To celebrate National Writing Day, an annual celebration of the power of writing creatively, we are offering all pupils that attend one of our member primary schools the chance to win a £15 book token that can be used during this year’s summer holidays.
Today we’re launching or #Summer challenge to WIN a book voucher. We want to inspire children of all ages and abilities to get writing. To enter, we want to know why your child loves our school lunches and what their favourite foods/dishes are on our menus and why? There will be two prizes, for two categories. One for KS1 and and one for KS2.
The competition is open to all primary aged children attending one of our member schools.
To enter, parents and carers can:
1. Send a photo of your child's creative writing piece ( via our e-mail address)
2. E-mail directly to our e-mail address
3. Send a postal entry to the address in our T's 7 C's
Closing Date is the last day of term 22 July at 5pm.
Please state if your child is in KS1 or KS2. The winners will be chosen and notified week commencing 28 July 2025.
E-mail address - marketing@citycateringsouthampton.co.uk
Hunger doesn’t wait for guidance
Hunger doesn’t wait for guidance. We have been waiting for information about how the Government wishes the support some of the most vulnerable children during this lockdown period, and we are still waiting. The support offered has been made through various last minute decisions, u-turns, and inconsistencies for the duration of the pandemic. This is not the way to support families.
Government u-turns on holiday food support
Over the weekend, the Government announced in the media that they were now (despite earlier votes to not) going to support vulnerable families and children at risk of food insecurity over the winter months. We were, of course, delighted with this decision as it recognises the increased need that families are experiencing right now. It has something that we have been watching closely in recent months.
Addressing Food Insecurity in Southampton
Today, the Holiday Provision Steering Group met for their quarterly meeting; and the first opportunity this term to regroup and understand the current need in regards to family food insecurity in general, and specifically, in the school holidays for Southampton. The topic certainly has captured the nation lately, and its important for the local community for those supporting families to continue to do so with partnership.
Our response to the Free School Meal extension vote
Our response to the recent Free School Meal extension debate and vote
Where to go if you’re unable to afford food
We know that now more than ever, more people are finding it harder to balance their household finances, and afford food. This can have a wide range of impacts on households and families. So we’ve compiled some ways that you can get help, both locally, and nationally.
Exciting funding news for our Cooking at Home project!
We have some exciting funding news for our Cooking at Home + Lunch Crowd projects - and we are delighted!
Case Study | How our support has helped Steph and her children
Read more about our beneficiary Steph and how our Cooking at Home and Lunch Crowd projects have supported her and her children, especially during covid-19
Offering holiday food provision support during the summer
A look at our Lunch Crowd project this support, supporting families at risk of food poverty across Southampton
How we are adapting our school meals this term in response to Covid-19
We explore how we are adapting our school meals this term in response to Covid-19
Launching our free home-cooking support program
Discover more about our home cooking education program, with recipes, YouTube videos, Facebook support groups and more.
The results of how access to food in Southampton has been affected by Covid-19
Find out how Covid-19 has affected food access for the Southampton community. Download our illustrative reports here for all the latest statistics and data.