How to apply for Food for Life Served Here

How to apply for the award

The Food for Life Scotland team is here to support local authorities across Scotland to achieve the Food for Life Served Here award for their school meals. From buying list analysis, menu development, and free staff training, to pre-inspection support and marketing materials to publicise your new award, we are here to help at every stage – and because the scheme is funded by Scottish Government, there is no cost to local authorities in gaining the award.

Pre-Application Support

The first step towards gaining a Food for Life Served Here award for your school meals service is a benchmarking exercise. The Food for Life Scotland team will work with your Catering and Procurement staff to assess what requirements of the award you are already meeting, and identify areas that do not currently meet Food for Life Served Here standards.

After completing the benchmarking, we will support you in developing an action plan to make any changes required to meet Food for Life Served Here standards. This could involve help with menu conversion, supply chain troubleshooting, or training sessions for frontline catering staff.

Application & Inspection

The Food for Life Scotland team will assist you in completing the application and compiling the evidence folder. The Food for Life Served Here award is assessed with an annual inspection, when a member of the Food for Life Served Here inspection team will visit one of your school kitchens and speak with cooks and catering staff.

How long does the process take?

The time it takes to achieve a Food for Life Served Here award is different for every local authority. However, on average, the journey from gap analysis to inspection usually takes between six to twelve months.

Your Food for Life Served Here award

We will work with you to help publicise your achievement with marketing and press support to celebrate your new award. As a Food for Life Served Here award-holder, you will have access to advice from a network of your peers via the Award-Holder Working Group, as well as ongoing support from the Food for Life Scotland team.

• Ready to start your Food for Life journey?

  The Food for Life Scotland team is here to help. Our team can support you with menu development ideas, procurement advice, strategic engagement, data analysis, and communications. Sarah Gowanlock, Food for Life Scotland Project Officer, is on hand to provide initial advice and support. Contact her today for an informal chat about Food for Life in your local authority.

  Email Sarah