Lifespan Catering Service joins national calls to ‘eat seasonably’

The Eat Seasonably campaign already has a huge following among consumers and retailers, and now hospital patients are reaping the benefits of seasonal, locally grown produce. Each month, Lifepsan Catering Services uses around 11 tonnes of potatoes, carrots, cabbages and courgettes as part of the many ingredients that go into the 'cook chill' meals for hospital patients – all prepared and cooked at its premises in Fulbourn, Cambridge. A further four tonnes of apples are also used within the same timescale. But while the meals themselves sometime travel up to an hour and a half each day to reach their destination, where they are reheated and served, the source of the seasonal food is a lot close to home. "Local fruit and vegetable farmers and growers are preferred where possible," said Michael Davey, Lifespan Catering Services production manager. "We have successful and long-standing partnerships with several growers, producers and suppliers which enables us to fulfil our commitment to be locally sustainable wherever we can, as well as offering the hospital patients fresh, seasonal ingredients." With over 40 years' experience, family-run business Cambridge Produce Brokers has been supplying Lifespan Catering Services for the past five years. Based in Fen Drayton, the firm has a portfolio of fruit and vegetables including local apples, pears, carrots, parsnips, onions, swedes and cabbages as well as salad plants. Proprietor Mervyn Meneely said: "We live in the Cambridge area and our farming neighbours and suppliers are important to us. "We like to be the link between 'field and fork' and work hard to ensure our goods arrive with customers in as good a condition as when they arrive with us. "We understand the demands on Lifespan Catering Services – if it is needed, we recognise the urgency to supply and will whenever necessary. Our food is part of the patient journey, and we like to think we are supplying them with the most wholesome and seasonal food that has travelled from the local countryside and has been handled with great care." Lifespan Catering Services also delivers its 'cook –chill' meals to hospital patients in Leicester, Norfolk and London.