Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Sixty schools around the motu have been left without a tuck shop provider after the Libelle Group went into liquidation two weeks ago.
Libelle was contracted to Compass, the government supplier for the scheme that has been plagued with issues since its relaunch this term.
While some kura are exploring options like online meal delivery services, others are relying on school bake sales and sausage sizzles to step into the breach.
About two weeks ago the tuck shop abruptly closed at Auckland's Mt Albert Grammar when Libelle crashed into liquidation, owing more than $14 million to 248 creditors.
With sandwiches, sushi and snacks no longer on offer, students have been trying to fill in the gap.
Principal Patrick Drumm said they have been putting on food fundraisers for upcoming events like Relay for Life and Polyfest - feeding students while raising money for causes.
"There's a lot of... bake sales, the barbecues are getting worked overtime at the moment with sausage sizzles.
"That's a firm favourite on the students' agendas."
They have scheduled things carefully, trying to make sure there was one fundraising event per lunchtime, but it was not a long-term fix.
"We don't see it as a substitute in essence for not having a, a tuck shop, and it's something that I suppose that we'll review about how we move forward with that in the future."
Drumm said they do not have any immediate plans to replace the tuck shop but were keen to do right by their 3000 students.
"The pragmatics of providing food on site for us does have its challenges in terms of location and just physical logistics around, around having that food available.
"We haven't got a concrete timeline on that, we've obviously been approached by a number of organisations.
"I think all schools that have lost Libelle have been sort of inundated in many ways with, other providers, but we're just taking stock at the moment and just holding off any commitment."
School lunch provider Libelle Group has been placed into liquidation. Photo: RNZ / Louise Ternouth
In Auckland, Maclean's College has turned to an online meal delivery service "Dollar for Schools".
The company offers different options every day and students could get St Pierre's Sushi, Subway or Domino's pizza for lunch, with a dollar from every lunch sold going back to the school.
Principal Steven Hargreaves said with a limited menu the uptake was fairly low and about 80 students were using the service out of a school of 3000.
The old tuck shop also had a low turnover.
"I think the main reason for the low turnover is just that we have a community that do bring lunch.
"Some of it could be cultural - we have a lot of Chinese students, Southeast Asian students, Indian students, and they just seem to be in the habit of bringing really tasty, wholesome meals from home."
The school also has nine vending machines on campus that they were looking to stock with more healthy lunch options- rather than snacks like protein bars and drinks.
Hargreaves said the Dollar for Schools option was enough to satisfy the school for the moment and they were not looking to replace the tuck shop.
He said the Libelle liquidators were due to come and collect the kitchen gear that was left behind and the caravan where the shop operated from.
More than anything, staff and students were feeling sorry for the Libelle staff they got to know over the years, he said.
About 1000 schools were still navigating the ups and downs of the government's revamped school lunches scheme.
