The 2022 accreditation also includes meal provision in the area’s early years settings, meaning that even more young people are benefitting from healthy and sustainable school meals.
The council has been working with the Soil Association for several years, ensuring that their preparation, ingredients and practices meet the high standards required to achieve bronze award status.
Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “I am delighted that 125 of our schools and early learning centres have yet again met the criteria required to gain this prestigious award. Our catering teams are wholly committed to providing our children and young people with nutritious, sustainably sourced meals and they should be very proud of themselves.”
The award recognises food establishments that serve fresh, environmentally sustainable and ethical food as well as those who make healthy eating easy and champion local food producers.
The Council’s Policy Lead for Commercial Services, Councillor Gary Mulvaney, added: “The catering staff have worked really hard to achieve this and I am proud of their dedication to ensuring pupils have access to healthy, locally sourced food. This is not only benefitting the children - it is supporting our local food producers along the way.”