Public sector organisations praised as 'good eggs'

Using locally grown, seasonal vegetables and a commitment to buying free range eggs, were among the initiatives that have helped public sector caterers from across London win prestigious Good Food on the Public Plate awards.

The public sector serves over a billion meals a year to school children, hospital patients and the state's most vulnerable citizens. These awards, presented by at London's City Hall by Rosie Boycott, chair of the London Food Board, went to 22 universities, hospitals and publicly funded bodies that have made great strides to make the food they serve more sustainable, better for the environment and for animal welfare.

The winners have all made one or more significant changes – some, such as the London School of Economics (LSE) have converted to only using free range eggs and composting food waste. Other winners include Sutton Council that is now serving school children fish from certified sustainable sources, and Imperial College that is buying seasonal vegetables from a farm in Kent.

Good Food on the Public Plate, a project run by Sustain and funded by the Greater London Authority, have developed the awards to celebrate non-profitable organisations that are working hard to make sure that the meals they serve not only taste good and are value for money but are beneficial the environment.

Rosie Boycott, said: “We have been hugely impressed by the appetite from organisations to make positive changes to their catering choices, moving us far away from the image of processed, bland and un-tasty canteen food. Collectively, public sector food budgets have the clout to catalyse significant improvements to food systems and the treatment of animals. Farms that are signed up to assurance schemes are at a distinct advantage when they tender for food contracts.

"The fantastic winners of the Good Food on the Public Plate awards show that public sector food can be delicious, healthy and good for the planet. Crucially taking these steps with creativity means good food need not cost the earth at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure. These food champions provide a great example that other organisations should follow.”

Liz Thomas, LSE's catering manager, said: 'In circumstances where there is constant pressure on cost reduction it would be easy to ignore sustainability, animal welfare and ethical sourcing. However we are committed to improving the lot of workers and animals in the food chain and reducing negative environmental impact."  

Good Food on the Public Plate Project Officer, Jon Walker,  said: “London's public sector institutions are leading the way in the procurement of sustainable food both collaboratively and individually proving it is possible to purchase sustainable food cost effectively."

The Good Food on the Public Plate project reflects the high priority given to public sector food procurement by the London Food Board, which has a procurement steering group which works to embed good practice across London's public sector organisations. 

The awards were held at City Hall on 30 November.

**ENDS**

For more information on Good Food on the Public Plate, please contact Rosie Blackburn rosie@sustainweb.org or 0203 5596 777 or go to http://www.gfpp.org.uk/.

 

Note to editors:

Good Food on the Public Plate is a project coordinated by Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, coordinated through the London Food Board and funded by the Greater London Authority.  The project aims to increase the amount of sustainable food used by the public sector in London by providing free of charge advice and support to catering and procurement staff.

The full list of winners of the Good Food on the Public Plate awards is:

• Camden Council  -  Use free range eggs. Use RSPCA Freedom Food meats. Use seasonal, local fruit and vegetables. Only using MSC-certified fish.  Minimise food waste.
• City University London – Use free range eggs. All their chicken is Red Tractor assured. All their milk is organic. Sustainable food days are promoted. No plastic water bottles are used in their hospitality service
• Enfield Borough Council - Discontinuing the use of bottled water in their hospitality service.
• Goldsmiths College - Bottling water in-house for their hospitality service. Use free range eggs. Using Fairtrade items including bananas and sugar. Listing growers' names on their menus. 
• University College London Hospitals NHS Trust - Introducing a new sustainable food policy. Running a low carbon menu for staff and visitors at UCLH using local, seasonal, organic, free range produce. Increasing the weighting of sustainability in procurement decisions. Recognising the direct link between a sustainable, healthy diet and diet-related illness.
• Imperial College - Collaborating with the Royal Brompton Hospital and Thamesbrook Care Home to purchase much of their seasonal, fresh produce from a farm/supplier in Kent. Composting 80 per cent of food waste on site. Introducing filtered water machines to the college's main restaurants. 
• Islington Council  - Only use free range eggs. Use RSPCA Freedom Food meats. Use seasonal, local fruit and vegetables. Only using MSC-certified fish. Minimise food waste.
• The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - All fish and seafood will be demonstrably sustainable. All eggs served will be free range. All meat will be Red Tractor as a minimum. A percentage of RSPCA Freedom Food poultry and pigmeat will be served. Fruit and vegetables will be Red Tractor and seasonal. Sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate and bananas will be Fairtrade. Free drinking water will be available to all.
• London Borough of Havering - Introducing RSPCA Freedom Food turkey.
• London Early Years Foundation - Buying seasonal fruit, vegetables and meat from a local, sustainable supplier.  Buying only organic milk. Using only free range eggs. Training their chefs in order that they can make best use of sustainable, healthy, fresh, good food.
• London School of Economics - Spending the money charged as a levy on sales of bottled water on environmental projects. Bottling water on site for use in their hospitality services. Only using free range eggs. Running Feel Good Food day menus termly. Ensuring all waste oil is sent away to become biofuel.
• Queen Mary University - Using cage free eggs. Offering a range of creative menu options that do not feature meat. Purchasing British apples in season. Hosting a farmers' market once a week.
• Redbridge Council - Serve Red Tractor assured meat. Only use MSC-certified fish. Only use free range eggs. Menus reflect the seasons. Only offer Fairtrade bananas.
• London Borough of Richmond - All the eggs used will be free range. Freedom Food meat is the preferred minimum standard. Palm oil is not permitted, even in bought-in items.
• Roehampton University  -  Launching their new in-house water bottling system . Only using free range eggs . Using seasonal vegetables on menus. Supporting a local artisan baker and using the bread for in-house sandwich making.  Ensuring no fish from the Marine Conservation Society's 'fish to avoid' list is served . Promoting Fairtrade and ethical products. 
• Royal Brompton Hospital - Collaborating with Imperial College and Thamesbrook Care Home to purchase much of their seasonal, fresh produce from a farm/supplier in Kent. Serving free range chicken once a week to staff and visitors. Formally writing a food policy to ensure longevity of good practice.
• Royal Marsden Hospital - Using only organic milk. Purchasing British pork. Buying only free range eggs. Purchasing much of their seasonal, fresh produce from a farm/supplier in Sussex.
• Royal Veterinary College - Ensuring Freedom Foods are regularly offered. All eggs are free range. Attaining Fairtrade status.
• Sutton Catering  -  Replacing frozen vegetables with fresh . Encouraging schools to compost peelings on site. Only using free range eggs. Only using MSC-certified fish. Ensuring their menus reflect the seasons.
• Tower Hamlets Council - Only use free range eggs. Utilise Red Tractor chicken. Recycle their food waste. Use minimal food packaging.
• Transport for London - All eggs served are free range. Organic milk and other organic lines are being introduced. MSC chain of Custody applies across all sites. RSPCA Freedom Foods and Red Tractor assured produce must be purchased where available.
• University of Greenwich - Only Marine Stewardship Council fish is purchased. Only free range eggs are used. Only organic milk is used. Red Tractor meat is purchased as a minimum. Fairtrade and organic coffee is offered at all sites.