Marks and Spencer, whose Simply Food outlet is located in St. Anne’s, have said they will support families by offering a £5 top-up to the government’s £15 school meals vouchers, so allowing children to enjoy nutritious breakfasts and lunches at home during the week. The boost will mean parents will be able to purchase £20 worth of food in total using the £15 vouchers.

To claim the additional £5 on vouchers at the store, parents and carers need to exchange their eCode issued via the free school meals scheme to get an M&S gift card. This gift card will then automatically be loaded with the extra money to be spent in store.

M&S say that once parents have picked up their shopping, they should simply hand over their voucher at the checkout.

M&S’s senior nutritionist Laura Street has also developed a downloadable breakfast and lunch planner made up of mealtime inspiration for 10 meals for two children with minimal preparation required. It features classic dishes such as porridge with fruit, eggs and soldiers, flour tortilla pizzas with salad and tomato pasta, as well as tips to avoid food waste.  Go to: https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/food-to-order/not-just-any-food/food-news/healthy-kids-lunches