Shire Services has been singled out as a 'Beacon of Excellence' for the way that it sources local produce for school meals across the region.
It has become the first local authority caterer to be awarded the Food for Life Silver Catering Mark by the Soil Association for using seasonal, local and organic ingredients in its primary school menus.
A creative and innovative approach when putting food contracts out to tender enables smaller local businesses to compete against national organisations. Splitting the county into areas means that smaller producers can bid for all or part of a contract according to their resources. Modifying specific criteria, and encouraging local producers to consider the proposals, has resulted in first-class school meals made with fresh local ingredients.
In addition to larger suppliers we have local contracts with:
- Butchers in Shropshire
- Greengrocers in Shrewsbury and Hereford
- A cheese producer in Whitchurch
- Bakeries in Wem, Bridgnorth, North Wales and Herefordshire
- Free range eggs from the Shropshire, Herefordshire border
Improvements to school meals
Schools, pupils and parents can now be supplied with information regarding the suppliers, the quality of food, the breed of the animals, where they come from, where the vegetables are picked and the culture of healthy eating in general.
As well as securing jobs in local areas, quality has improved, as has efficiency in the supply chain. There's also less waste and more flexibility.
Case study
Andrew Francis is a traditional butcher in Ludlow, supplying the school meals service for all of south Shropshire. They source Hereford beef from a farm in Woofferton, lamb from around Knighton and free-range pork from Leintwardine, all of which is traceable and quality assured.
The groundbreaking work being undertaken in the West Midlands is part of the overall Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative, which is seeking to improve links between the public sector and producers. Working with a range of public sector organisations, including the NHS, local authorities, The Prison Service, MoD and other partners, they are hoping to make the links still stronger and more effective.