The celebration was held at Chase Bridge Primary, where ISS served 400 school meals every day.
Andrew King, head teacher at Chase Bridge Primary said: “Educating the children about food is an important part of the curriculum at Chase Bridge. ISS have been great in making sure we have good quality lunches and not only that, they are also contributing to our broader curriculum, for example, using the food the children grow in our allotments in the meals.”
The Gold award requires 5% free range and 15% organic produce to reach the standard, along with sourcing as much local and British produce as possible.
The award was presented by Ian Nutt, head of development for Food For Life, who leads development of all national Food for Life programmes, plus has overall responsibility for Food for Life Served Here.
Nutt said: “Good food is a vital part of the school day. Parents to students at these Richmond schools can be confident that their children are equipped with the fuel they need for their learning and development through the meals provided here by ISS. Achieving a Gold Food For Life Served Here award is an incredible accomplishment.
“Going one step further, it’s thrilling to see the whole school approach in action, with the vegetables grown on site by pupils at Chase Bridge Primary School reflected in the lunch menus. ISS display the Food for Life Served Here logo in their dining rooms and on their menus. Parents can look for the logo as a sign of this great achievement.”
The event concluded with a sampling of dishes from ISS’ Gold menu, prepared by the school’s catering team. Parents and children were invited to join in the tasting session, which included dishes prepared with organic and free-range ingredients as well as fresh produce grown by pupils on the school grounds.