'Massive blow': 75 suppliers lose school lunch contracts

School lunch cuts will have a wider impact on small businesses and jobs than previously expected. (Image: NZ Herald)

Wed, 23 Oct 2024

Thousands of jobs are on the line as 75 suppliers will lose their school lunch contracts at the end of the year.A consortium led by global catering giant Compass Group won the contract to deliver free school lunches to 176,000 students under a new model.The consortium, which includes Libelle and Gilmours, will deliver lunches or ingredients to schools at $3 a pop, down from up to $8.69 under the current model.Suppliers who have missed out on the contract say the new model is a "massive blow" to their business, adding that they would n...

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