Shropshire Council’s school meals provider wins gold award for fresh and healthy meals
Shire Services – Shropshire Council’s school meals provider – is the first local authority caterer in the West Midlands to achieve the Soil Association’s Gold Food for Life Catering Mark for serving fresh and healthy meals made with local and organic ingredients.
More and more, people want to know where their food comes from and how it has been made. The Gold Food for Life Catering Mark guarantees nutrition, animal welfare, the environment and staff well-being are considered in all decisions. After a rigorous on-site inspection, Shire Services have proved that they prepare meals using at least 15% organic ingredients as well as a selection of ingredients produced locally or in the UK, and are making healthy eating the easy option.
Shire Services currently serves approximately 11,000 meals a day under the Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark criteria in 81 schools across Shropshire. Muxton Primary School is the first school to upgrade to the Gold standard which places emphasis on local produce and organic ingredients.
Meanwhile, Shire Services has also appointed Great Berwick Organics from Shrewsbury as a supplier of organic longhorn beef through the Organic Farmers and Growers accreditation scheme.
Janet Croft, service manager at Shire Services said:
“We always look to support the local economy and community when appointing suppliers of fresh produce. It guarantees produce will be fresh and high quality as it will be sourced from within Shropshire, which we know has agriculture at the heart of its economy. We are very pleased and proud to be the first local authority caterer in the West Midlands to achieve the Gold Catering Mark award. Muxton Primary School are a shining example of placing school meals at the heart of the school day and the benefits this brings to their pupils. We are delighted to work in partnership with them in delivering their school meals service.”
David Minnery, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and young people, said:
“This is great news for Shropshire Council, for Shire Services and for all the schools and children that Shire Services provide school meals to. My congratulations go to all the Shire Services staff on this fantastic achievement, and to Muxton Primary on being the first school to upgrade to the gold standard.”
Mrs Jenny Pritchard, Headteacher at Muxton Primary School says:
“We are absolutely delighted to receive this award. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that our children enjoy happy and healthy meal times and have the best possible start to making healthy choices about food in the future. Two years ago, we set out a very clear and ambitious vision and have worked extremely hard to achieve the very highest standards for our children, both in terms of the quality of our food and the overall dining experience. Working in partnership with Shire Services, we have been able to embed excellent practice and would like to thank their team for all the support and guidance they have given.”
Martin Sawyer, Chief Executive of Soil Association Certification, says:
‘The Gold Catering Mark is a fantastic achievement so it’s brilliant to see Shire Services and Muxton Primary School gaining recognition for serving great fresh meals made with seasonal, local and organic ingredients. Serving menus to Gold Catering Mark standards can significantly reduce carbon emissions and supports local businesses so this is a win-win for planet-friendly food and the local economy. Shire Services is leading the way in the drive to improve food culture in the UK.”
Further information
Shire Services is the main school meals provider for primary and secondary schools in Shropshire, and of catering services to further education colleges and schools in Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Cheshire, North Wales and the West Midlands. Click here to find out more.
