Nope, although of course, it depends what we are trying to optimise.

If you mean normatively, beyond the fact that this situation should not happen in the first place, my sense is that in the rarely cases that it does (but again, it seems to me, maybe mistakenly, less rare on LCY flights than LHR ones, even from LCY), would be to use the ipads to offer instant recovery. I think it might slightly minimise the affected passengers' frustration. The amount that you mention (4000 avios) is not absurd, at least for short flights, but I think it should be systematically credited without affected passengers needing to go through the bother to write.

If you mean pragmatically when such recovery doesn't happen, my solution has no moral virtue but minimises my aggravation: I'd just either skip eating or ask to buy what I want, but not bother to complain/claim afterwards. I have come to despair of customer service after a couple of fairly serious incidents and am less optimistic than you about BA changing their habits as a result of complaints and formal procedures. I think that they would end up trying to settle after wasting everyone's time and most people will accept and I doubt that they will change either catering procedures or even compensation procedures. Maybe I'm over-pessimistic of course, but very selfishly, I have to weigh the extent to which I am willing to make a fuss and go through hurdles to the potential benefit that I can expect, and quite frankly, for £4.50, I don't think I could justify the sort of effort on my part which I think would be needed for BA to have an even small chance to react.

I realise that "do nothing" is not a particularly hopeful solution, but probabilistically I fear it has the advantage of minimising any further loss (or time, energy, etc) and avoiding further frustration and disappointment.