Food for Life said it was ‘inspiring’ to see Chester Zoo’s commitment to sourcing and serving good food especially considering the challenges that caterers across the UK are facing.
Simon Lockhart, head of food and beverage, said: “The high volume of food produce we use and serve at the zoo makes it all the more difficult to achieve this top award, so we are ever so proud of this achievement. We can now provide assurance to all of our guests and their families that we only serve up quality, sustainable ingredients.
“We also now have a real opportunity to use our platform to influence more and more supply chains to try to create a shift to nature-friendly, sustainable practices - something that we’re already championing when it comes to deforestation-free commodities such as palm oil, soya, sugar and coffee.”
As a gold FFLSH holder, Chester zoo are:
- Serving meat which comes from farms which satisfy UK animal welfare standards
- Serving over 15% organic ingredients and at least 5% Free Range chicken
- Serving organic milk, beefburgers and drinks
- Ensuring all eggs used are free range
- Serving sustainable fish
- Ensuring their food contains no undesirable additives, trans fats or GM ingredients
- Serving locally produced and seasonal produce
- Helping to make healthy eating easier
Caron Longden, senior business development lead for Food for Life Served Here, added: “By using organic milk, organic beef burgers, and free-range chicken, the team at the zoo are showing the value they put on serving food that is better for our health, nature and climate.
“Visitors to the zoo can be reassured that the food on offer is of the highest quality and of the care the team put into sourcing ingredients. We, at the Soil Association, are inspired by the work done, especially so in these challenging times.”