Food Legacy Awards celebrate the best of sustainable catering

Leading London caterers, and companies that served food at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, have received Food Legacy Awards for championing healthy and sustainable food. The awards were presented by London Food Link [1], a network of food and farming organisations that has been working for more than a decade to improve London’s food system.

The Food Legacy Awards recognise the achievements of caterers, London Boroughs and inspiring organisations and individuals who have achieved significant progress on serving healthy and sustainable food, in line with health and sustainability standards for food served at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games [2].

The picture shows Sustain's Kath Dalmeny presenting Gerry Clinton, Head of Catering for the London Borough of Havering, with a London Food Champion 2012 Award

Melissa Hayles, co-ordinator of the Food Legacy programme [3] said, “We witnessed huge efforts behind the scenes by London 2012’s organisers and caterers to serve food meeting the high ethical and sustainability credentials set out in the London 2012 Food Vision. Even more importantly, some of those caterers have pledged to continue aspects of this good work beyond the Games, leaving a sustainable food legacy for London."

"The Food Legacy Awards also celebrate the achievements of many inspiring organisations and individuals working with the Food Legacy programme who have put sustainability at the heart of their businesses, and at the heart of London borough food-buying policies. They demonstrate what can be achieved for the benefit of Londoners, farmers and the environment.”

The Food Legacy Awards and Commendations were as follows:-

• Food Inspiration Award 2012: Jan Matthews, Head of Catering, Cleaning & Waste for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, for implementation of the London 2012 Food Vision [2]. In addition, commendations were made to several large foodservice companies that served food at the London 2012 Games, for their long-term commitments to serving more sustainable food, in line with important aspects of the London 2012 Food Vision: Aramark, BaxterStorey and Sodexo [3].
• London Food Champion 2012: Gerry Clinton, Catering & Traded Services Manager for the London Borough of Havering, for having created a collaborative food-buying system for London Boroughs and individual public-sector institutions to buy sustainable food cost-effectively, at a large scale [4].
• Public Sector Leadership on Sustainable Fish: The UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for adopting a mandatory sustainable fish policy, in line with the fish policy set out in the London 2012 Food Vision [5].
• Food Legacy Awards for inspiring sustainable food pioneers [6], for their inspirational long-term commitments to healthy and sustainable food:
  • Events and conference venue: 15 Hatfields, a social enterprise conference venue
  • Independent caterer: Eden Caterers, providing sustainable food for London events and organisations
  • Street food and specialist event caterer: Squid & Pear, the UK’s first caterer to gain a top 3-star sustainability rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association

Food Legacy Awards were also made to London Boroughs [7] for their work to improve the healthiness and sustainability of food, for the benefit of London residents:

• Top Good Food Borough: The London Borough of Islington for its consistent commitment to promoting good food in the Borough, for the benefit of Islington residents, visitors, local businesses, farmers, health and the environment.
• Most Improved Good Food Borough: The London Borough of Merton for the impressive steps it has taken since 2011 to promote good food in the Borough, for the benefit of Merton residents, visitors, local businesses, farmers, health and the environment.

Ross Compton of London Food Link, who has been tracking progress made by London Boroughs on healthy and sustainable food, said: “Londoners care about good food, and they want to know what their boroughs are doing to support good food. Back in 2011, we first produced a league table, and maps showing which boroughs are taking action on good food. In 2012, we are delighted to report London-wide progress on all of the six good food initiatives that we tracked. In many London boroughs, schoolchildren are now receiving fresher, tastier and more sustainable food than last year, and tens of thousands of local residents have better access to green space for growing food. Borough support for farmers and local businesses has also improved, and there are early signs that several boroughs are doing their bit to create bee-friendly environments.”

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Notes to editors

1. London Food Link is a network of organisations and individuals who care about sustainable food. Members are as diverse as farmers and food writers, caterers and community food projects. London Food Link and its members work towards increasing the availability of sustainable food in London; tackling the barriers preventing access to healthy and sustainable food for all Londoners; protecting and celebrating London's diverse food culture. London Food Link celebrated its 10th anniversary in September 2012 at a London Food Conference where the Food Legacy Awards were given. See: www.londonfoodlink.org
2. The London 2012 Food Vision sets out what the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games aimed to achieve through their food buying and catering for the 14 million meals to be served at the Games. In line with the ambitions of the London 2012 Food Vision, the London 2012 organisers, LOCOG, working with contract caterers achieved:

• Fairtrade tea, coffee, cocoa, bananas, chocolate, sugar, oranges and white and rosé wine;
• Free-range shell-on eggs, and in some venues a large volume of RSPCA Freedom Food pork and chicken raised to higher standards of animal welfare;
• British and seasonal produce, and Red Tractor assured food, particularly milk, traditional cheese, fresh meat, seasonal fruit and vegetables and bread;
• Demonstrably sustainable wild-caught fish;
• Organic certified milk served with teas and coffees throughout the Games;
• Healthier options served by caterers, and free drinking water available at all venues, which proved to be very popular with spectators.

3. The Food Legacy programme aims to help more caterers, restaurants, hospitality and events organisers – in the private and public sectors – to achieve the ambitions of the London 2012 Food Vision, which sets health and sustainability standards for food served at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Food Legacy programme involves many caterers, suppliers and sustainable food groups and is supported by the Mayor of London, New Covent Garden Market Authority and London Food Link, and coordinated by Sustain. See: www.foodlegacy.org - see: Twitter: @Foodlegacy2012

4. Gerry Clinton, Catering & Traded Services Manager for the London Borough of Havering, runs a collaborative food-buying system for London Boroughs and individual public-sector institutions to buy sustainable food cost-effectively. See: www.sustainweb.org/resources/files/reports/GFPP_InHouseCaterers.pdf

5. The UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), adopted a mandatory sustainable fish policy in 2011, in line with London 2012 Food Vision standards. This covers all catering for Number 10, Whitehall, Central Government departments, prisons, and some parts of the armed forces – improving the sustainability of fish served to around 400,000 people. See: www.sustainweb.org/sustainablefishcity/fish_news/jun11_uk_government_commits_to_sustainable_fish/

6. The inspiring sustainable food pioneers received Food Legacy Awards for their inspirational long-term commitments to healthy and sustainable food:

• 15 Hatfields (www.15hatfields.com)
• Eden Caterers (www.eden-caters.co.uk)
• Squid & Pear (www.squidandpear.com)

7. For details of healthy and sustainable food commitments by London Boroughs, see the Good Food for London 2012 report at: www.sustainweb.org/publications/?id=249