Lancashire school caterers win sustainable procurement award

The group was awarded runner-up in the Northwest Business Environment Awards' Sustainable Procurement public sector category. Inspiring practices include buying from local farms, reducing delivery mileage and switching to free-range eggs. Part of Lancashire County Council, the School Catering Service supplies 565 schools across Lancashire and Blackburn, serving around 50,000 pupils a day. The group's food and procurement manager Emma Tweedie says: "We've really punched above our weight by successfully applying some of the practices used by big businesses and supermarkets to help the environment. "The drive to make school meals healthier presented us with an opportunity to completely overhaul our business. Now our school meals are not only healthier for children, they are also better for the environment, animals and the local economy." The service was also commended for choosing higher welfare standards, using its purchasing power to encourage suppliers to go green with less packaging and supporting fair trade products. As an added benefit, it offers other councils the chance to share green contracts. The Northwest Business Environment Awards are the region's only celebration of businesses with impressive green credentials. Launched in 2003, the awards can help raise a company's profile by informing customers and staff of its hard work.