Celebrating 7 years of Fresh, Local Food on the School Plate
Inverclyde Council’s catering team are celebrating after the council renewed its Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) Bronze award for the seventh year in a row.
The council, which first received the FFLSH Bronze award in 2019, is now serving around 5,000 nutritious, sustainable and locally-sourced Food for Life meals in its 20 primary schools and 19 nurseries every day.
That’s an incredible 95,000 meals per year – all locally-sourced and freshly prepared for Inverclyde’s young people.
Local authorities receive the FFLSH certification following an independent assessment and inspection to ensure the food being served in schools across the local authority is good for pupils’ health, good for the environment and good for the local economy. The scheme is run by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government.
Inverclyde contains some of the most deprived areas of Scotland and is the first local authority to extend universal free school meals to all primary pupils. For some children, their school meal is the only one they'll have that day. That's why it's so important to the council that the food they're getting is healthy and nutritious.
The hard work and dedication of all involved has once again been recognised by the widely respected and independently assessed scheme led by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government. The Food for Life Scotland programme provides a framework through which local authorities can ensure they are serving food that’s good for health, the environment, and the economy. This is done by following a set of standards to achieve the Food for Life Served Here award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.
Inverclyde Council decided to go for the Food for Life Served Here Bronze award in primary schools to improve the quality of the region's school meals. Staff looked at every element of the existing school menus to see what needed to change. They worked with suppliers to switch to produce that met the Food for Life standards, rejigging the whole menu to fit both the budget and the Food for Life standards.
Seasonal vegetables are supplied by Glasgow-based George Carruthers & Sons Ltd, while McLays supply farm-assured meat. The council catering team produces a provenance map, showing where ingredients are sourced, which is displayed in all dining areas and distributed to parents on an annual basis.
Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s Convener of Education and Communities, said: “This achievement is a testament to the dedication of our fantastic catering teams, who work tirelessly every day to provide healthy, nutritious, and locally sourced meals in our schools.
“It’s about more than just serving good food – it’s about helping to give Inverclyde’s young people the best possible start in life.
“That’s why in 2023 we became the first council in Scotland to provide free school meals for all primary pupils to support our young people and our families.
“We’re proud to continue our involvement in the Food For Life programme that reflects our values and commitment to quality.”
Staff have since regularly taken part in the free training days offered by the Food for Life team to continue their education on the programme and how they can keep putting good food on the plate for Inverclyde’s young people.
Pupils and staff alike at King's Oak Primary in Greenock, which was inspected as part of the accreditation process, celebrated the award renewal during their annual uniform recycling event, as school came to a close for the summer holidays.
Sarah Duley, Head of Food, Soil Association Scotland, said: “Congratulations to Inverclyde for renewing their Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award for another year. This is a huge achievement and shows that staff are dedicated to providing pupils with a hot, nutritious meal that’s healthy, freshly prepared and sustainably produced. We're delighted to continue to support the council's catering team, and contribute towards Scotland's Good Food Nation planning."
Soil Association Scotland is a sustainable food and farming charity working to transform the way we eat, farm and care for the natural world. The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by farmers, scientists, doctors and nutritionists to promote the connection between the health of the soil, food, animals, people and the environment. Its Chief Executive is Helen Browning, and Chair of Trustees is Martin Nye.
Food for Life is a Soil Association initiative which began in 2003 and developed into an award-winning national programme to transform school food culture. In Scotland, the programme has been funded by Scottish Government since 2012. 15 Scottish Local Authorities currently hold Food for Life Served Here certification for their school meals. Food for Life is a leading voice in the campaign for positive change in all areas of food and health.
The Food for Life Served Here standards are:
Bronze
- Meals comply with national standards or guidelines on food and nutrition.
- At least 75% of dishes on the menu are freshly prepared (on site or at a local hub kitchen) from unprocessed ingredients.
- All meat is from farms which satisfy UK animal welfare standards.
- No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fish to avoid’ list.
- Eggs are from free range hens.
- No undesirable additives or artificial trans fats are used.
- No genetically modified ingredients are used.
- Free drinking water is prominently available.
- Menus are seasonal and in-season produce is highlighted.
- Information is on display about food provenance.
- Menus provide for all cultural and dietary needs.
- All suppliers have been verified to ensure they apply appropriate food safety standards.
- Catering staff are trained in fresh food preparation and understand how Food for Life Served Here works.
More information about the Food for Life Served Here award in Scotland and a full list of organisations who have achieved it is available via the link in the Other Websites section of this page.