School lunch ordering for Irish caterers
No more Friday phone calls.
Parents pick next week's lunches on their phone. Orders close on your deadline, and you get totals for every dish in every portion size - plus a printed label for every lunch box.
From €4.95 + VAT a month · no set-up fee · English & Irish
Your week with Lunch Order
From menu to lunch box, without the spreadsheet juggling.
-
Mon
Menu goes live
Week 2 of your rotating menu appears for every school, with photos and allergens.
-
Tue–Thu
Parents order
On their phone, for all their children at once. "Same as last week" takes one tap.
412/ 530 pupils -
Thu 16:00
Orders close
Your deadline, automatically. Kitchen totals are ready the moment it passes.
16:00
-
Fri
Print & prep
Totals by dish and portion size, packing lists per school, a label for every child.
Sadhbh Ní ChonaillM 3rd Class · Curry & rice
Monday: the right lunch, in the right size, reaches the right child.
Friday, 3pm, the old way
Scoil na Meacan - rang 2: 14 curry, 9 pasta??
Ms Walsh rang back - 3 off sick
S.N. Bóthar na Cáise: same as last week (I think)
Junior infants - smaller portions!!
Cian - NO milk ← tell kitchen
Thursday, 16:01, with Lunch Order
Kitchen totals
Wed 4 Nov| Dish | S | M | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken curry & rice | 31 | 22 | 18 | 71 |
| Tomato & basil pasta | 24 | 15 | 9 | 48 |
| Vegetable chilli | 6 | 8 | 11 | 25 |
| Fruit pot | 40 | 21 | 17 | 78 |
Try it - these are the parents' screens
However you run your menu.
Wednesday · Main, choose 1
✓ Saved - no Save button to forget
On the label
Tomás Ó Sé
S.N. Bóthar na Cáise · 5th Class
Fill in up to four menus. The weeks rotate through the ones that have dishes - add a fourth later and it simply joins in.
- 6 Sep
- 13 Sep
- 20 Sep
- 27 Sep
- 4 Oct
- 11 Oct
- 18 Oct
- 25 Oct
Portion sizes
A junior infant isn't a 6th class pupil.
It's the complaint parents make most. The portion follows the class automatically, parents can change it, and your totals and labels say S, M or L - less waste for the small ones, nobody hungry in 6th class.
3,200primary schools on the Hot School Meals scheme
1 in 5hot meals go uneaten - ordering ahead means cooking what children actually chose
2027/28the scheme brings in cold options and a three-week menu cycle
Sources: Department of Social Protection; RTÉ News, 21 September 2026.
Built with caterers who do this every day.
One account, all the children
Parents add each child once - or the school uploads the class list and families claim with a code.
14 allergens, every dish
A warning when a child is allergic, and ALLERGY in black on their label.
Your own site
yourname.hotlunch.ie with your logo and colours. Parents never see us.
As Gaeilge
The whole site in English and Irish, for Gaeltacht schools and everyone else.
Teachers and principals
See their class or school, mark trips and in-service days - packed lunch instead, if you offer it.
Nothing to install
Works on any phone. Two-step log-in for everyone who sees children's details.
Pricing
Pick the size that fits. Like a portion.
Every feature in every plan. Choose by schools or pupils, whichever is higher. 30 days free, no contract.
€4.95
+ VAT a month
up to 10 schools
or 500 pupils
€9.95
+ VAT a month
up to 25 schools
or 1,500 pupils
€19.95
+ VAT a month
up to 50 schools
or 3,000 pupils
€39.95
+ VAT a month
up to 100 schools
or 6,000 pupils
€79.95
+ VAT a month
up to 250 schools
or 15,000 pupils
Cooking for more? Talk to us.
Questions
What caterers ask us.
What is Lunch Order?
An online ordering system for school lunch caterers in Ireland. Parents order each child's lunch on their phone before your deadline. You get kitchen totals by dish and portion size, packing lists per school and a printed label for every lunch box.
How much does it cost?
From €4.95 + VAT a month for up to 10 schools or 500 pupils, up to €79.95 for 250 schools or 15,000 pupils. Every feature is in every plan, the first 30 days are free and there is no contract.
Does it work with the Hot School Meals scheme?
Yes. Parents or teachers choose each child's meal in advance, so you cook what children actually chose - with menus that rotate over up to four weeks, cold options and packed lunches for trips.
Can portion sizes differ by age?
Yes. The portion follows the class automatically - infants to 2nd class small, 3rd and 4th regular, 5th and 6th large - parents can change it, and totals and labels show S, M or L.
Is it available in Irish?
Yes. Each caterer's ordering site can be offered in English and Irish, and class names can be the school's own, for example "Rang a Dó".
Do parents need to download an app?
No. It works in any browser, and parents can add it to their home screen as an app in a few taps - no app store.
How do allergies work?
Every dish shows the 14 EU allergens. Parents add their child's allergies, see a warning on dishes that contain them, and the label says ALLERGY in black.
Where is the data stored?
On servers in the European Union, run by 24 Hosting in Galway. There is no tracking or advertising, staff log in with two steps, and schools only ever share names and classes.
Made in Galway
Talk to a person, not a call centre.
24 Hosting has run websites and online services for Irish businesses for years. Ring us, or call in to Platform94.
Get your own ordering site.
Tell us about your schools. We'll set up yourname.hotlunch.ie with your menu and show you around - usually within a day.
No more Friday phone calls :)