Kokova Magazine

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has achieved a bronze Food for Life Catering Mark from the Soil Association for all 90 of its Primary, Nursery and Special Schools.

The award means one of the most culturally and financially diverse inner-city boroughs, with the highest number of free school meals in the UK [55.6%], is serving food that is fresh and free from controversial additives to the borough's children, every day.

For many of the children in Tower Hamlets, school lunch is the main meal they will eat each day meaning it is vital that they have access to the best and most nutritious food possible.

Primary, Nursery and Special Schools in Tower Hamlets are now serving meals that are over 75% freshly prepared, free from undesirable e-numbers, trans fats and additives like aspartame, tartrazine and MSG.

All meat and dairy products are from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards; eggs come from free range hens; only responsibly-sourced MSC fish is served; and all fresh salad, vegetables, and fruit are seasonal.

The borough catering team managed to achieve all of this, without increasing their budget, by switching suppliers and being part of a London-wide buying group.

Parents and carers of children who do not take up their entitlement of a free school meal will be encouraged to do so by the Tower Hamlets catering team in the coming weeks with support from a School Food Trust project.

Free school meals could save families up to £380 per year per child.

There are now over 400,000 Catering Mark accredited meals served each day in schools, restaurants, hospitals, nurseries and universities across the UK.

I am absolutely delighted. This is a great achievement for everyone involved and illustrates the commitment and hard work of all the catering staff across the borough and the partnerships they have with the schools themselves. Our catering service is always looking for ways to improve its standards of nutrition and provision as part of our ongoing commitment to improve the life opportunities and health of everyone in Tower Hamlets.

Michael Hales, Head of Contract Services

Contract Services work hard to provide healthy and nutritious school lunches to Tower Hamlets' schools every day.

This is a really proud moment in the history of the Catering Mark knowing that thousands of children in Tower Hamlets will benefit from healthier school meals. The Soil Association believes that access to good food should be a right not a privilege and we are committed to making organic, seasonal, healthy food accessible to everyone.

Rob Sexton, Chief Executive of Soil Association Certification

Find out more about the Soil Association and their work at – www.soilassociation.org