School meals service in line for top catering award

Shropshire County Council’s school meals service could be named winners of a prestigious national catering award later this week (Thursday 10 July).

The team is one of three finalists for the Education Catering Management Team of the Year award at the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) awards for excellence 2008.

The award acknowledges teams who have made an outstanding contribution to education catering.

This year’s winners will be crowned at a gala dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Thursday.

Ann Hartley, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, who nominated the team for the award, said: ”Being named one of only three finalists for this award is deserved recognition for a dedicated team who help to deliver a progressive, sustainable and valued service of high quality and imaginative food to over 20,000 people every day.

“Their commitment, energy and enthusiasm has meant that Shropshire is leading the way in providing our children with a balanced, nutritious and varied menu, one that also places a great emphasis on the use of local produce.”

Over the past four years Shropshire County Council’s school meals service has worked to increase the use of local fresh produce and quality raw materials, to produce meals without the use of convenience products high in additives, salt, fat and sugar, and to work with schools to support the education of food, where it comes from and a balanced diet.

As a result, 75 per cent of the meat, dairy and vegetables served in Shropshire’s schools is sourced from within Shropshire and surrounding counties, uptake in primary schools consistently reaches 47 per cent, with many primaries achieving over 60 per cent, and Shropshire has three of the six Soil Association flagship schools in the West Midlands.

In March 2008 Shropshire County Council’s school meals service was one of three finalists for the ‘education’ award in this year’s Cost Sector Catering awards.

Further information

The other two finalists in the Education Catering Management Team of the Year award – which is sponsored by Shropshire-based Muller Dairy UK Ltd – are Rhondda Cynon Taf City Borough Council, and Middlesbrough Council.