Many caterers are already familiar with the Food for Life Catering Mark and over 600,000 Catering Mark meals are being served every day in schools, hospitals, universities, nurseries and staff restaurants.
To help them meet the requirements of the Catering Mark standards, caterers need suppliers who can deliver products that can satisfy a variety of accreditations required at the bronze, silver and gold levels of the Catering Mark.
These include products which are: Red Tractor; Freedom Food; MSC; organic; Fairtrade; non-GM; LEAF; free range; free from trans fats and additives.
Suppliers who join the scheme can promote themselves into a market worth over £200 million. Membership costs £995 per year but is free to Soil Association organic licensees.
Cathy Rouse, head of Sales at supplier NCB, explained why the company joined the programme: “Food safety, provenance and sourcing great products from local suppliers have been our proposition for the last 18 years. By working together with the Soil Association, our growers and producers we can hopefully ensure the longevity and wellbeing of our farming communities, while striving to meet our responsibilities as custodians of our planet.”
To join the scheme, suppliers must be able to demonstrate that they have read and understood the Catering Mark Standards; that they can provide products which meet one or more of the standards; that they can support customers with their supply chain, and provide relevant information for their inspections.
Suppliers who are interested in joining the scheme should contact Emma Rose at the Soil Association on 0117 914 2414, or email: erose@soilassociation.org