Support for a Perthshire mum’s petition demanding better school dinners doubled in 24 hours.
Lauren Houstoun says she’s been blown away by the backing for her campaign to bin fake meat from school meals.
More than 2,300 people have now added their names to the online petition.
And the Blairgowrie mum-of-three was reminded why she’s doing it on Tuesday.
Lauren launched her crusade after Kirkmichael Primary had no alternatives to processed meat substitutes on the menu last Tuesday.
And on the day The Courier reported on her petition, the same thing happened again with her daughter’s nursery school dinners.
She says Perth and Kinross Council and Tayside Contracts are letting children down.
And she’s urged them to look to the example of Aberdeenshire, where pupils are offered a three-course meal every day with far less processed food.
Support has been pouring in from across Perthshire and beyond.
“The petition is going up all the time,” said Lauren.
“A lot of people seem to be in the same boat. They’re all saying this isn’t good enough.”
School dinners petition is about healthy choices
Lauren runs Glenkilrie Larder, which supplies beef, lamb and venison from husband Andrew’s family farm near Blairgowrie.
She insists her crusade is not about putting more meat on the menu.
It’s about giving children a choice and providing quality vegetarian and vegan produce, instead of processed foods.
The Houstoun children aren’t allowed processed meat substitutes like Quorn and soya mince.
And for the last two Tuesdays, there has been nothing on the Perth and Kinross schools menu that five year-old Alasdair and four year-old Ellen could eat.
Lauren supplied last-minute packed lunches on both occasions.
But she says she’s fighting for the children and families who aren’t so lucky.
“For some kids that’s the only meal they’ll get,” she said.
“That’s what upsets me.”
Authorities defend current menus
Perth and Kinross Council says all of the food served in its schools meets strict nutritional standards, based on scientific evidence and dietary advice.
School meals provider Tayside Contracts says it follows a “rigorous menu development process”.
The Scottish Government says local councils are best placed to understand local needs, circumstances and priorities.
Lauren’s school meals petition can be found at change.org.
Conversation