Sunderland school meals go green

The award recognises the city council's commitment to sustainability and good environmental practice in schools.

This certification follows an announcement last month that the council has been commended for the high quality of its school meals, with a 'Food for Life Served Here' Bronze Award, also awarded by the Soil Association.

Sunderland City Council's school meals service was evaluated on its energy use, water consumption and waste generation during site visits and assessments, before being graded on its level of sustainable practice.

The service was also recognised for staff training, monitoring waste and setting targets towards reducing energy.

Councillor Louise Farthing, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Skills, said: "We are immensely proud to be the first local authority to be awarded the Green Kitchen Standard. It is a fantastic achievement and great to see our school meals team recognised for playing their part in tackling the climate emergency. These small steps make a big difference.

"This certification also complements a broad range of activity we are undertaking across the city to address climate change, encapsulated by the Sunderland Low Carbon Framework and the aim to ensure we are a carbon neutral city by 2040."

James Cashmore, Deputy-CEO of Soil Association, said: "This unique standard supports caterers to take a stand on climate action, providing meals that are produced with less energy, less waste and less water. The public sector has an important role to play in addressing the climate crisis and Sunderland have displayed their dedication to ensuring that the meals they serve have a focus on sustainability. Their focus on great environmental management has earned them the right to receive this award and become exemplars for good green practice for local authorities and caterers across the UK."

Sunderland City Council's school meals service serves more than 11,000 meals across 63 primary schools daily.

The Green Kitchen Standard is delivered by Food for Life, a Soil Association programme.

Launched in May 2017, the certification requires caterers to engage with the multiple sustainability issues that arise in food service - from broader policies through to day-to-day kitchen management. It provides a framework for action, taking positive steps to engage with customers, train staff, monitor resources, implement best practice and achieve continuous improvements.

Learn more at https://www.foodforlife.org.uk/catering/green-kitchen-standar