News

The caterer is assessed every year by the Soil Association’s Food for Life team. The current bronze award ensures that they ethically and locally source their ingredients, including using Red Tractor meat and sustainable fish.

City Catering Southampton serves Food for Life compliant school meals in 39 of Southampton's from early years and secondary schools, totalling approximately 7,000 meals a day.

Gary McMahon, chief executive at City Catering Southampton, said: “We are so proud of our school meals service - we offer nutritious, healthy, and freshly cooked food, with the passion of our wonderful kitchen teams, citywide.

"Our menu development team put so much time and care into creating a healthy, well-balanced school menu. This bronze award is credit to them, for all their hard work and dedication.”

Over 85% of their school meals are freshly prepared in their school kitchens, offering freshly cooked nutritious and tasty meals every lunchtime. All meat served in their schools can be traced back to the farm it came from and meets or exceeds UK animal welfare standards.

City Catering Southampton has developed relationships with producers throughout Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight. All eggs that are used in school meals are free range. City Catering Southampton introduced a meat-free Wednesday to help protect the environment by eating less meat.

Sarah Doling, head of menu development, added: “For myself and my team, the Food for Life Award is an acknowledgement of our commitment to making our school meals the best they can be, in terms of nutrition, provenance and taste. We source as many local, seasonal ingredients as possible and it’s our passion to nourish the children of Southampton, that drives us.”