Bolton Council spends hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on meat to serve in schools.

The sum of around £340,000 a year – a little less than £1,000 a day – is contained in a report for consideration by the cabinet member responsible for the service, Cllr Nadim Muslim, next week.

According to the report this sum is a little more than 12 per cent of the overall spend on all food to serve in schools. It suggests the overall spend on all food is in the region of £2.6m.

The current contract for the provision of meat expires at the end of September with Cllr Muslim recommended to start the procurement process for a new contract from the start of October.

READ MORE: Action on sale of e-cigs to children after crackdown in Bolton

The procurement process is not a straightforward one, as the council must meet the nationwide School Meals Food Standards and other standards, such as those set by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC).

Around 28 per cent of the provision of meat purchased by the council is halal, a term which means it is permissible in Islamic law.

There are also pressures such as issues caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine and increases in the cost of production and transportation.

Currently, the council is a member of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO), through which it is able to arrange a "mini-competition" between a number of its suppliers.

Cllr Muslim is recommended to approve the use of a "mini-competition" as to do so saves the council "significant expense" and "significant time".

READ MORE: United Utilities: Bolton areas top two for sewage in waterways

The report for consideration next week reads: "YPO UK Food Deal framework is considered to offer the best option for future supply. This will enable the School Meals service to procure goods from local, regional and national suppliers via the framework. 

"The use of a mini-competition will increase competitiveness between the suppliers, drive up the standards and enable the service to benefit from the lowest possible price," it adds.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.