The services company achieved silver accreditation at 21 Oasis Academy primary schools it caters for and bronze accreditation at ten Oasis Academy secondary schools.
Matt Garner, Sodexo UK & Ireland’s head of government schools, said: “We promote a balanced and varied diet in schools. We believe it’s important to work with the wider school community to improve the quality of school meals and encourage children to eat more healthily supporting their learning and positively impacting on their Quality of Life.
“To achieve the Catering Mark across all these schools is a great achievement and testament to the hard work of our teams.”
The Food for Life accreditation is awarded to food providers by the Soil Association as an independent endorsement of the quality, provenance and sustainability of the food they provide, meeting UK standards for animal welfare.
The Catering Mark is open to all food providers and recognises caterers who serve more locally produced, healthy and organic food. Caterers with the Silver Catering Mark use at least 5% organic ingredients as well as a selection of UK or local produce, and offer healthier menus.
Sodexo has provided each school with a school gardening pack from Rocket Gardens so they can grow their own organic vegetables.
Sodexo began providing catering services to three Oasis Academies in 2010 and has catered for the majority of its estate since 2014. The Oasis contract was Sodexo’s first to trial its secondary offering The Social, which was launched in February 2015. The new offer is based on high street influences and aims to inspire students to make healthier choices.