Parents of children at a primary school in Lancashire are said to have been left fuming after the institution goes permanently “meat free”.
Although a letter confirming it would solely be offering vegetarian school dinners was only believed to have been sent out last Thursday, Barrowford Primary School – which is near Nelson in Lancashire – was said to have introduced the meat-free rule for school dinners last year, and also urges parents to exclude meat from packed lunches too.
In a letter sent home to parents, headteacher Rachel Tomlinson said the decision had been made in an effort to curb climate change.
She pointed out the “huge environmental cost” of the meat and dairy industry.
In a statement provided exclusively to The Sun, Tomlinson said: “We made our school lunches meat-free over a year ago, and while we have not received any complaints from parents, I’m happy to discuss it with anyone who has any queries.
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“Our children learn about the principles of sustainable development as part of the national curriculum, and are really interested in how they can contribute to better looking after our environment [so] we made our school lunches meat-free to demonstrate how each of us making a small change to our daily habits can have a much wider positive impact, and that reducing meat consumption is just one way to do this.
“We have been careful to approach this in a balanced way, and teach that it is fine to eat meat, but that reducing our consumption can help our planet.”
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Barrowford Primary School said the decision had been made in an effort to curb climate change / Credit: Google Maps
The school says that no parents have made a formal complaint as of yet.
However, according to The Sun, several parents have blasted the decision, with one mum saying she’s “fuming” after her daughter was served a veggie sausage that she did not like the taste of, and has been on packed lunches ever since.
The mum told the newspaper: “It is a joke.
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“I’m looking to move as I’ve had enough of that school. I think they forget that non-meat eaters and vegans have to take a lot of supplements. What supplements do they get instead at that school? Nothing, probably saving on food costs.”
She also claims that she only found out about the rule change via email last week, despite the change being made more than a year ago.
Another person questioned why the school could not just include vegetarian and vegan options as well as meat versions, and said it was “absolutely ludicrous” to request that packed lunches also be meat-free.
The response from parents hasn’t been all negative though, as according to The Sun, some have welcomed the change with open arms, with one admitting that: “I am not vegetarian and I think the lunch choices are great [and] if people are upset they have the option to send a packed lunch if they wish, nothing is forced.”
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Featured Image – Aldi
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Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Emily Sergeant -
14th February 2022 
