School canteen staff in limbo as dinners firm hits trouble

A total of 13 schools in Blackpool and many more around the county were left in the lurch when P&A Food Management Services went into administration.

Canteen staff in Blackpool were due to be paid on Friday but phone calls to schools told them their pay would not be coming as the company had folded.

Many children were left without hot school dinners and Blackpool Council quickly stepped in to help provide packed lunches for those entitled to free school meals.

But the schools and the canteen staff were left wondering about the future arrangements until a deal was done by the administrators, Deloitte, to sell on P&A’s business to fellow Yorkshire catering company Dolce UK in a “pre-pack” deal designed to save jobs and assets and minimise disruption.

Neil Adams, secretary of the Blackpool local government branch of Unison, said the union was scrambling to try to help staff.

He said: “We have had cause for concern about this company for some time now.

“They have been going into schools and taking on the provision and then getting the staff to serve not what they said they were going to be serving.

“Then 12 months ago they changed the pay date to the end of the month suddenly. We had such concerns recently that we notified Blackpool Council some weeks ago. They were able to step in to help some of the schools.

“We are doing our best to make sure members get their money.

“Many of these staff are not the best paid, many are single parents who cannot afford to go without pay for a month.”

Clare Boardman and Richard Hawes, restructuring partners at Deloitte, were appointed as joint administrators to P&A Food Management Services on March 3.

While staff will transfer to the new company, no details about pay owed were given and staff may have to apply to the Government for help.

Clare Boardman said: “The business is well-known and has a critical function in supplying school meals and meal provision in workplaces.

“We are delighted to have concluded this transaction safeguarding the jobs of all employees and the continuation of services for customers without any major disruption. The Administrators would like to thank both the company’s employees and customers for their support for the business during this challenging and uncertain time.”

A spokesman for Blackpool Council said they were offering ongoing help the affected schools.

They said: “We heard on Friday about the supply company problems. These are school which have arranged their own contracts for meals. Schools have a legal obligation to provide free school meals otherwise they may have to close.

“We contacted the schools and asked our own school meal supplier, Blackpool Catering Services, to provide cold packed lunches for any other the children entitled to free meals. We helped four schools and the others organised something themselves.

“If they need any assistance then Blackpool Catering Services will step in until they can arrange longer term arrangements.”

According to its last accounts, for the year ending January 2019, the company employed around 400 people, had an annual turnover of more than £10m and a pre-tax profit of £130,885.

The accounts said the two directors Arthur David Naylor and David John Hall shared £456,364 in pay and dividends in that year.

Schools affected in Blackpool included, Hawes Side Academy, Thames Primary Academy, Layton Primary, Devonshire Primary Academy, St John Vianney Catholic Primary, Norbreck Primary Academy, Moor Park Primary, Stanley Primary, St Theresa’s Catholic Primary, Revoe Learning Academy, Anchorsholme Academy and Roseacre Primary Academy.