A father is calling for an end to his sons being served only jacket potatoes at school.

Jorg Braese's boys, Alvin and Victor Jakel, from Maidstone, have allergies which restrict what they can eat and their dad says the school's catering company doesn't accommodate their needs.

The children both attend St Peter's Primary School, Aylesford, which contracts out the school dinners to The Contract Dining Company, based in Kings Hill.

It changed to the new organisation in September 2019 and since then problems have started with menu choices.

The 56-year-old's eldest son Victor, five, who is gluten intolerant, started at the school in 2018 and during his first year there were no issues with the food.

But, since Alvin, four, who has an egg white allergy, joined in September, at the same time the new company took over the catering, the boys have had problems.

At the beginning of the new school year, they were served only jacket potatoes every day.

Their parents, of Tyland Lane, Sandling, complained and three weeks later there were alternative options on the menu for them.

Mr Braese said: "It was fine in the first week but then we started to get nervous, especially our boys. They seem to be incompetent to give the children what they should be entitled to by law."

When they went back to school after Christmas the potatoes returned and they are still being served them.

After complaining to the company and raising it with the head teacher, they were given an allergen menu last week which they agreed to.

But when the boys sat down for lunch yesterday they were given the same meal again.

The father said: "We don't understand why it is happening again. They are really sad, they love school but they don't want to go anymore because the other children are laughing at them. It is frustrating for us to see them suffer."

The other pupils are served a range of meals, including fish and chips.

Mr Braese said he was not aware if there were other children at the school affected but hoped raising the matter would encourage other parents to speak out.

Jim Holditch, the head teacher, said: "The father emailed me on January 20 about this and that day I spoke to the caterers to clarify the situation.

"Apparently when a parent informs them that a child has a food allergy, they provide the parent with a specific form on which they are asked to give all relevant details of the allergy.

"The company then draws up a specific menu for the child, which is implemented. Until that process is completed, their policy is to limit the food offered and in this case that is to baked potatoes.

"Obviously no one wants that process to take any longer than necessary.

"The caterers will always provide for any food allergy which parents raise with them."

He confirmed the parents had given approval of the allergy specific menu last week and it had been introduced today.

The catering company has been approached for comment.

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