Confusion over Islington pork prohibition as councillors contradict themselves
Banned: Pork products are off the menu at primary schools - Credit: Archant
Campaign launched to bring chops, bacon and bangers back to primary schools
Confusion reigns over the lack of pork in Islington’s school dinners as councillors Tweet contradictory messages.
When asked by the Gazette last month, Islington Council stated categorically that no pig was dished up in any of the borough’s primary schools.
Then after news of the ham, chops and bacon free school menus broke yesterday, they claimed no ban was in place, and any school who wanted to serve pork could contact the town hall to arrange this - although none had so far chosen to do so.
But this morning, Cllr Joe Caluori, Islington Council’s executive member for children and families tweeted: “Schools sometimes do serve pork (toad in the hole yesterday) and no child, parent or teacher had ever complained to me about this.”
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Unfortunately he hadn’t liaised with his town hall colleague, Cllr Paul Convery, who minutes later Tweeted “it was lamb”.
After realising his mistake, Cllr Calouri quickly deleted offending Tweet, replacing it with one citing “ham sandwiches” being served instead.
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Cllr Caluori also Tweeted “no one in the borough minds” about the lack of pork on school menus.
However a Facebook campaign launched in the last 24 called Bring Back Pork to Islington Primary Schools, has already received more than 180 likes.
In addition Chris Godfrey, whose family has ran a Highbury butchers for 100 years, told the Gazette “kids deserve to be given a choice, I don’t think this helps anyone”.
Cllr Caluori declined to say whether parents had been informed of the decision to remove pig meat from schools.
Mother’s campaign Group Islington Mums tweeted: “Pork banned from all Primary School menus in Islington. What do you think?”
In a statement released yesterday, Islington Council said; “It’s not true that pork is banned in our primary schools.
“It is not currently provided in our catering contract, but if any primary school wants to serve pork we will work with them to arrange it.”
The town hall has not clarified how the extra cost of serving pork would be paid for.
