Compass Group gains MSC Certification

The certification means that MSC eco-labelled fish n Compass menus can be traced back to the fishery – and often the boat – that caught it. Compass is the first UK contract caterer to manage its own MSC Chain of Custody certification. The sites involved include, Oxford Brookes University, Westminster Schools (encompassing 42 schools in the Westminster LEA), the Wellcome Trust and Lehman Brothers. Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council said: "This is a true first: Compass is one of the biggest foodservice organisations in the world and Compass UK and Ireland is leading the international Compass family in sustainable seafood. Certification of these restaurants for MSC 'Chain of Custody' traceability is a powerful demonstration of Compass's commitment to sourcing certified sustainable seafood sourcing – Chain of Custody certification entitles these units to use the MSC eco label on their menu which shows their customers the fish is from an independently certified, sustainable source." Neil Pitcairn, fish and seafood buyer for Compass Group UK & Ireland, has been leading the initiative, liaising between the outlets and the MSC to ensure that restaurants meet the required criteria. He said: "Gaining this certification is a great first for our business. Securing fish stocks for future generations is becoming more and more of an issue and our customers are often looking for fish that have been caught in a sustainable manner. "Now that our first restaurants have achieved certification, it will make it easier for other outlets to follow suit. We now have experience of the MSC evaluation process, which means we can use what we have learned to help them join the scheme." The MSC is the world's leading certification and eco labelling program for sustainable seafood. Set up in 1997 to tackle issues associated with over-fishing, the organisation allows certified food outlets to display its logo on menus, products or at point of sale, where the fish has been caught to MSC standards. The outlets that have attained the MSC standard are spread across all sectors of the Compass business, spanning schools, leisure facilities and leading investment banks and are testament to the growing importance of seafood sustainability to consumers. "The sites that have been certified are extremely diverse, showing how widespread the appetite for MSC certification is" said Neil. "As such, we are now in the process of communicating what we have achieved to all of our managers across the country in the hope of generating more MSC certified Compass facilities over the coming months and years."