From what I have been briefed we can also expect to see bar prices shoot up as all catering on stns will fall under PAYD, not just food (OK, so beer is food). Bars will be run by the PAYD contractor = normal civvy prices. Anyone with direct experience of the pilot stns got any gen on this?
PAYD might be fairer than the current system in principle, ie why should those that choose to miss some meals subsidise the rest, but is the alternative of worse and/or more expensive food any better? I think not, plus add in the likelyhood of combined messing and another chip away at military ethos. Maybe the 'E' in 'RISE' stands for 'Eating together'?!
Good news is that PAYD pilot projects don't appear to be a runaway success with the contractor apparently loosing money, and implementation has slipped at least a year. At least they aren't hostages to fortune by calling it something with a year in the title like CS95 or Pay 2000! (or even Eurofighter 2000!)