The Food for Life Scotland programme provides a framework through which local authorities can ensure they are serving food that’s good for health, the environment and the economy.
Aberdeenshire first achieved the award in 2014 and the council is now serving around 15,000 Food for Life school meals every day across 150 primary schools and four ASN schools. The bronze award recognises that a minimum of 75% of dishes are freshly prepared from unprocessed ingredients.
Sarah Duley, head of food at Food for Life, said: “School meals fuel young people’s learning, but can also help tackle climate change, create local jobs, and contribute to a fairer, more resilient food system. They are an investment in the future of our young people, our economy, and our environment, and are more important than ever as a nutritional safety net during the current cost of living crisis.”
Aberdeenshire Council has established strong relationships with local suppliers since achieving the award, providing a valuable source of income for Scottish businesses. The fruit and vegetables are supplied by TPS Fruit and Veg Ltd of Turriff and meat is bought from Aberdeen based butcher McWilliam.
Aberdeenshire Council’s chair of Education and Children’s Services Committee Cllr Gillian Owen, added: “Special thanks goes to our catering service managers Ian Paterson and Liz Powell for the work they do in the background in ensuring we continue to provide pupils a quality, nutritious and value for money meal experience that children and young people have come to expect.
“I’d also like to thank our catering business support officer Lorna Murray who spearheads the Food For Life Served Here award for school catering. This recognition is a testament of our use of local quality ingredients wherever possible and we greatly appreciate pupils eating with us. I know the catering team is passionate about what they do and are rightly proud of the food they serve.”