The rating makes it the first university in Wales to receive the accreditation after the SRA found significant focus on serving healthy and sustainable meals, as well as ‘excellent social and environmental credentials’.
Andrew Phelps, catering and hospitality service manager, said: “We feed thousands of students and staff every day. We are passionate about providing all of our customers with delicious, healthy, ethical and sustainable meals because we know it’s good for them, the planet and our business. We are now going to work hard for our Three Stars.”
Phelps and his team aim to source as much as they can from Welsh suppliers and much of what is imported, including coffee, is either Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified.
Cardiff Metropolitan is also now working with the Food Industry Centre to further develop the nutritional information on its menus so that customers can make an informed choice.
Tom Tanner of the SRA said: “With more than two million customers, and that’s just the students, UK universities have a giant slice of the UK eating out market.
“That brings enormous power, and with that comes a large degree of responsibility. Cardiff Metropolitan has demonstrated its commitment to serving up genuinely ‘good’ food, and its customers can turn their passion for good food into action and be reassured that they are making positive choices.”
Cardiff Metropolitan is one of more than 30 universities to have joined the SRA and become part of the Food Made Programme.