This means the teams responsible for education in the UK are eating meals which meet the same quality standards that they have encouraged schools and caterers to adopt.
Interserve’s Education Division, Eden Foodservice, recently became the first caterer to introduce the Silver Catering Mark as a minimum standard in all of its primary school business.
Rachael Venditti, development manager at Autograph said: “Introducing the Catering Mark into the Department for Education demonstrates our commitment to providing customers with good food that has been independently recognised.
“It is fantastic to be supporting the DfE to achieve the very quality standards that they advocate in schools. We’re looking forward to working towards Silver for this menu.”
To mark the achievement, Shona Dunn, director general of education standards, opened a recent event at the DfE co-hosted by Autograph and the Food for Life Catering Mark. Guests included Mike Bond, the Catering Mark manager, Jeanette Orrey, co-founder of the Food for Life Partnership, representatives from the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra), Brakes Group and DfE staff, who sampled some of the food on offer at Sanctuary Buildings.
Dunn said: “The DfE is working with schools to implement the School Food Plan to ensure that all schools can offer children and young people high quality meals.
“I am delighted that the Department is helping to lead the way by achieving the Catering Mark for the food served in our restaurant here in Sanctuary Buildings.”
Mike Bond, Catering Mark manager added: “The DfE has overseen some significant developments in school food in recent years. The new School Food Standards encourage the use of local, fresh, sustainable ingredients, and head teachers and caterers are tasked with improving quality through achieving standards such as the Catering Mark.
“It is great to see Autograph has supported the Department in committing to serving high quality food to their own staff.”