Essex Hospitals first in UK to achieve silver Catering Mark for fresh, healthy meals

06 September 2011

Ashlyns Catering [1] has achieved the prestigious silver Food for Life Catering Mark from the Soil Association [2] for serving fresh, healthy meals to Braintree Community Hospital and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping, making them the first hospitals in the UK to gain a silver Catering Mark [3].

The silver Catering Mark guarantees that what’s on the menu is fresh, healthy and made with a number of local and organic ingredients. At Braintree hospital all patient meals meet the silver Catering Mark standards while hospital visitors and staff at St Margarets are provided with silver standard meals in the hospital cafeterias. St Margaret’s cafeteria already has a great reputation for serving good food to the local community and this award will no doubt be welcomed by residents who regularly enjoy meals there.

The number of hospitals achieving the Catering Mark has doubled in the last few weeks - a direct reflection of the increasing interest amongst customers and patients in knowing where their food comes from and how it was produced. A recent Soil Association report; 'First Aid for Hospital Food', revealed that while many hospitals are still falling short of acceptable standards there are positive examples, such as Braintree and St Margaret’s, proving that it's possible to source fresh, local and organic food whilst staying within budget. [4].

Ashlyns are committed to sourcing local produce – serving free range poultry, Farm Assured beef and potatoes all produced within Essex. Beef, free range pork and vegetables all come from nearby Suffolk and free range eggs are laid in Hertfordshire. When in season soft fruit comes from local growers and all dairy products are organic, whilst tea, coffee and chocolate are either organic or Fair Trade. This all helps support the development of local businesses and provides further benefits to the local and regional economy [5].

Commenting on their achievement, Gary Stokes, Projects Director at Ashlyns said:
“Ashlyns has always strived to source the best quality ingredients to meet ever tightening budgets and we’re delighted that our commitment to serving fresh, local and organic food has been recognised by achieving the Food for Life silver Catering Mark. We hope our customers will enjoy their meals all the more knowing that they contain a selection of local and organic ingredients.”

Explaining the importance of the Catering Mark, Rob Sexton, Chief Executive of Soil Association Certification, said:
" It’s brilliant to see Ashlyns gaining recognition for serving fresh meals made with a range of seasonal, local and organic ingredients, demonstrating that it’s possible for hospitals to have good food on the menu all of the time. Serving meals which meet the silver Catering Mark standards supports local businesses and reassures customers that meat and dairy products come from farms with higher standards of animal welfare.”
 

Notes
[1] First and foremost Ashlyns are farmers but are best known for their work with schools. In 2004 they launched the “Feeding our Future” project, established to help improve school meals and give children an understanding of where their food comes from and how it is produced. At the heart of their ethos is the belief that, wherever possible, dishes on their menus should be made from fresh, raw ingredients, specifically designed to incorporate local and seasonal produce.

[2] The Catering Mark is a unique scheme that recognises restaurants and caterers who serve fresh food which is free from controversial additives and better for animal welfare. The Food for Life Catering Mark offers a guarantee that fresh food you can trust is always on the menu. For more information about the Food for Life Catering Mark please see our web pages: www.soilassociation.org/cateringmark

[3] Food for Life menu criteria include:
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

Silver
in addition to bronze criteria:
• A range of local, organic and fair trade produce is served
• Chicken, eggs and pork products are from sources which meet high welfare standards or 10% of food is organic
• No fish is served from the Marine Conservation Society 'fish to avoid' list
• Information about where the food has come from is on display

Gold
in addition to bronze and silver criteria:
• At least 30% of ingredients are organic (or Marine Stewardship Council certified fish)
• At least 50% of ingredients are locally produced
• Organic meat, dairy products or eggs are served, which achieve the highest welfare standards
• A variety of non-meat dishes are being promoted as part of a balanced, climate-friendly diet

[4] Read a summary of the 'First Aid for Hospital Food' report, or download a copy in full from our website

[5] 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