Harrison Catering Services has achieved the Silver Food for Life Catering Mark for 147 primary, special and nursery schools across the London Boroughs of Bexley, Croydon, Ealing, Lambeth and Southwark.
The company is now serving 40,000 meals each day—over 7.5 million per year—that meet Silver Catering Mark Standards. These include using at least 5% organic ingredients, as well as a selection of UK or local produce, and offering healthier menus.
Local, seasonal and organic ingredients
Nicola Turk, Director of Group Schools, said: “Harrison’s focus has always been on serving nutritious meals made from scratch using fresh, seasonal ingredients, so moving from Bronze, which we achieved in 2010, to Silver was the next step and required only minor adjustments to our purchasing.”
The company focused on increasing its use of organic raw ingredients across different food groups, further reinforcing its commitment to food made from fresh, high-quality ingredients. They also worked closely with long-term, local supply chain partners to source the right products, including the best seasonal produce, which is purchased when it is at its best in terms of quality and price.
“Harrison is supplying one of the largest amounts of Silver Catering Mark meals in England, and we are thrilled to be making a significant contribution to the over 850,000 Catering Mark meals served in schools each day,” Turk said. “Pupils throughout our London schools are really benefitting from Silver Catering Mark meals made with local, seasonal and organic ingredients, and we’ve delivered this with no additional cost to the boroughs or schools.”
Fresh, healthy dinners on the school menu + food education
The Food for Life Catering Mark originated as part of the successful Food for Life Partnership, which is working with over 4,500 schools across the country to put fresh, healthy dinners on the school menu and food education in the timetable.
The School Food Plan, launched in July 2013, sets out the step changes needed to improve food provision to millions of children in England. The plan references the Food for Life Partnership throughout, and highlights the Food for Life Catering Mark as the procurement standard for which caterers should be aiming.
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.
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 2,000 staff across more than 270 locations.
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