The prestigious Harrogate Ladies’ College has become the first independent school in Yorkshire to achieve the Soil Association’s Silver Food for Life Catering Mark.
This is also the first Silver Catering Mark for Harrison Catering Services, the College’s caterer, which has prioritised sourcing local ingredients for its meals at the College, with over 80 per cent of its suppliers based in Yorkshire.
Finest, responsibly and locally sourced ingredients
Gareth Harrison, Joint Managing Director, said: “We have a fantastic partnership with Harrogate Ladies’ College, who really share our passion for fresh food made from the finest, responsibly- and locally-sourced ingredients. The abundance of quality suppliers in Yorkshire has been a real benefit. All meat is Red Tractor certified and farmed in Yorkshire and Durham, the daily homemade bread is made using flour organically grown and milled in Yorkshire, the majority of vegetables are also grown in Yorkshire and even the free-range eggs come from the county.”
Health and wellbeing
Sylvia Brett, Principal and Chief Executive of Harrogate Ladies’ College, said: “The award of the Silver Food for Life Catering Mark to HLC is a wonderful recognition of the School’s commitment to ensuring that as a community we take seriously our responsibilities towards our pupils and staff in terms of their health and wellbeing: 90% of our food is cooked from fresh ingredients.
“The award also reflects our place at the heart of the food and farming community in the North – I am especially proud that over 80 per cent of our suppliers are from Yorkshire. Catering Manager Craig Robinson and his team from Harrison Catering Services deserve every congratulation for working and achieving in a way which reflects the aims and values of the school: to engender a deep passion for learning and love of life—fuelled by healthy and tasty food!”
Pupils have shown a particular interest in food provenance and green issues and provide regular feedback on the catering service to the catering manager. They have responded to the Silver Catering Mark with enthusiasm.
Responsible sourcing and Food for Life
There is a natural affinity between Harrison’s approach to responsible sourcing and the goals of Food for Life. More and more, people want to know where their food comes from and how it was produced. The Catering Mark brings together all the issues people care about – health, animal welfare and planet-friendly food. It recognises food providers who prepare meals using fresh, seasonal ingredients which are free from controversial e-numbers. The Food for Life Catering Mark offers a guarantee that fresh food you can trust is always on the menu, providing reassurance that the food Harrison serves meets high standards of traceability, freshness and provenance.
The Catering Mark is open to all food providers. The Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers recognise caterers who serve more locally produced, healthy and organic food. Caterers with the Silver Catering Mark use at least 5% organic ingredients as well as a selection of UK or local produce, and offer healthier menus.
Harrison has also achieved the Bronze Catering Mark for over 280 schools, as well as a Gold Catering Mark for The Urswick School in Hackney.
About Harrison Catering Services
Founded in 1994, Harrison Catering Services is an independent, family-owned company providing contract catering to clients across the UK.
The Harrison proposition is centred around the on-site preparation and cooking of top quality meals made with fresh ingredients. Over 100 clients enjoy a Harrison food service, with more than 100,000 meals being served each day by approximately 2,400 staff across more than 400 sites.
About Food for Life
The New Economics Foundation undertook an independent evaluation and found that for every £1 spent on Food for Life menus, there is a £3 return to the local economy. Full report here
The Food for Life Catering Mark Standards are:
Bronze
- Meals contain no undesirable food additives or hydrogenated fats
- 75% of dishes are freshly prepared
- Meat is from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards
- Eggs are from cage-free hens
- Menus are seasonal
- Training is provided for all catering staff
- No GM ingredients are used
- Free drinking water is available
- No endangered fish are served
- Information about where the food has come from is on display
- Suppliers meet food safety standards
- School caterers meet government guidelines for food and nutrition
Silver and Gold
The Silver and Gold Catering Mark Standards work on a flexible points system, which rewards every penny spent on ethical, environmentally friendly and local ingredients, and recognises steps to offer healthier menus.
- At Silver, at least 5% of ingredients are organic and a selection of local or UK produce is served. A number of steps are taken to make meals healthier.
- At Gold, at least 15% of ingredients are organic, a significant proportion of the ingredients caterers use must be from the UK or produced locally and further steps are taken to make healthy eating easier.
For more information about the Food for Life Catering Mark click here