Parents have raised the alarm about an increase in prices in school canteens in Sofia, without any change in the products on the menu. Inflation or speculation with the euro - checked by the bTV team.
Even in the first days of the year, parents notice higher prices for their children's lunches - by 50 stotinki to 1 lev per menu in different regions.
Emilia Petkova: “In 142 primary schools, it also went up by 1 lev. Where can I report it?“. The Krasno Selo district, where the school is located, explained in a letter that in the last days of last year the company that provides the food requested an indexation of prices:
„Since January 5, prices have been increased unilaterally, before the procedure provided for by the ordinance was completed and without an opinion issued by the competent authorities, which makes this increase unlawful“.
The same company supplies the canteens to other schools. They also replied to us in writing:
„The increase in the price of a student lunch coupon is part of the economic situation in the country and very often undergoes annual changes. Statistics in Bulgaria show that during the period 2023-2025, the price of basic food products increased by between 20 and 30%“.
However, the administration of “Krasno Selo“ has demanded the return of the old prices until the completion of the entire procedure for considering the application and making a decision, according to the law. A mother who wishes to remain anonymous tells us about the increase in prices at a school in the “Triaditsa“ district:
“I was surprised because I did not expect, I was not informed by the school that there would be even a minimal increase in prices. It is really minimal, let's say 50 stotinki on the menu and 50 stotinki on the afternoon snack, the issue is the quality of the food, which worries all parents“.
District Mayor Dimitar Bozhilov is categorical that the new prices have nothing to do with the euro, but with a competition and companies selected according to their offers at the end of last year: “It seems like there is a deficit in the industry and the main question is whether there is some kind of parceling, or a type of cartel, because we have relied on a lot of transparency, but the interest was low“.
Bozhilov assured that every week surprise checks are made on the quality of the food, and in case of violations, contracts are terminated.