Food for Life catering mark

For caterers who care about their ingredients...

When eating out, people want reassurance that their food, and their children's food, is fresh, honest and additive-free. They want to know that the issues they care about, from animal welfare to climate change, have been taken care of. The Food for Life catering mark is a Soil Association accreditation scheme to help leading caterers give their customers that reassurance.

How does it work?

The three tiers of Bronze, Silver and Gold allow caterers to make step-wise progress towards greater use of fresh, seasonal, local and organic ingredients, high welfare meat and sustainable fish. Food for Life catering mark logos are awarded for use on approved menus, and on any related marketing materials.

Who can apply?

The Food for Life catering mark is now available to applicants from across the UK. Caterers in all sectors can apply including local authority and private school meal providers, hospitals, nurseries, sports stadia, workplace canteens and restaurants.

Food for Life menu criteria include: 

Bronze

• Meals contain no undesirable food additives or hydrogenated fats
• 75% of dishes are freshly prepared
• Meat meets UK welfare standards and eggs are from cage free hens
• Menus are seasonal
• Well trained catering staff
• No GM ingredients

Silver (in addition to Bronze criteria) 

• A range of local, organic and fair trade food is served
• High welfare chicken, eggs and pork products are served (at least Freedom Food or free range - equalling the baseline commitment made by leading supermarkets)
• No fish is served from the Marine Conservation Society 'fish to avoid' list
• Information is on display about where the food has come from

Gold (in addition to Bronze and Silver criteria)

• At least 30% of ingredients are organic or Marine Stewardship Council certified
• At least 50% of ingredients are locally sourced
• Organic meat, dairy products or eggs are served as the highest welfare standard
• Non-meat dishes are being promoted as part of a balanced, climate-friendly diet

The catering mark has been awarded to the following caterers:

Gold

• Abbeywood Tots Nurseries, Bristol: 3 sites - 120 meals/day
• Bordeaux Quay, Bristol: For both their menu in the brasserie and restaurant.
• Cawdor Castle, visitor attraction, Nairn, Scotland.
• Celtic Football Club Hospitality, Glasgow: for the children’s weekday and match-day menus
• East Ayrshire Council: for their primary school menu - 40 sites - 4,716 meals/day
• Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School: For all meals served to the 250 pupils, meals are prepared and cooked by the students and all meat and veg comes from local and organic farms.
• Lakewood Conference Centre, Blagdon, Nr Bristol: Conference facility serving 50 meals/day
• Lettuce & Lovage, events caterer based in the outskirts of Bristol catering for all manner of events large and small, corporate or private.
• Little Green Rascals, Children's day nursery Nr York. Catering for 77 children daily
• Orchard Farmhouse Bed and Organic breakfast, which can cater for up to 5 guests and is situated in rural Dorset.
• Organic Buffet, events caterer based in Berkshire offering food for corporate and private events inculding weddings .
• Tall Trees Kindergarten, Frome, Somerset. For children aged 4 months to pre-school the Kindergarten serves meals containing high proportions of local and organic food to 50 children a day.
• The Folk House Cafe: A haven in the centre of Bristol, serving delicious organic home-cooked food to students attending courses, private functions and in the public cafe. Can cater for up to 150 and even has a delightful sunny terrace.

Silver

• Bumpkin, London: For both Bumpkin South Kensington and Bumpkin Notting Hill restaurants
• Early Years Catering, Bristol: 25 nursery sites - 650-750 meals/day
• Eden Foodservice, Berkshire: for school meals in Croydon - serving 96 sites - 10,700 meals/day
• Local Food Links, Bridport: for their primary school menu - 24 sites - 1,000 meals/day read more
• Monty's Nursery, Richmond, Surrey. Catering for around 55 children aged 3 months to 5 years at two locations.
• Nottinghamshire County Council: for their primary and secondary school menu - 360 sites - 34,914 meals/day read more
• Pride Catering, for meals served at St Stephen's school only
• Shire Services, Shropshire: for their primary school menu - 200 sites - 25,000 meals/day read more
• The Farm Kitchen, based in Lincolnshire providing school meals to 44 primary schools across the region, 1500 meals a day. 
• The Kitchen (schools) at Nocton Heath, based in Lincolnshie and supplying meals to 22 primary schools, up to 850 meals a day.
• The School Food Company: Currently providing meals to Gorsey Bank Primary a Food for Life Flagship - 336 meals a day.
• The Thali Cafe, Bristol. Small chain of award winning restaurants, serving authentic Indian street food.

Bronze

• Accent Catering: Offering menu to 16 primaries in South East London
• Bath and North East Somerset Council: for their primary school menu - 66 sites - 2,600 meals/day read more 
• Cater Link Ltd, Pembury, Kent: for primary school meals in Camden and Islington - 110 schools served - 13,684 meals/day
• Chartwells: For meals served at George Palmer school only.
• Devon Catering and Cleaning Services: for their primary school menu - 270 sites - 14,000 meals/day
• Durham County Council: for their primary school menu - up to 38 schools - 4,188 meals/day
• Havering Catering Services: for the Borough's primary school menus - serving 53 schools - 11,000 meals/day
• Highland Council: For primary school meals across 173 sites - 9000 meals/day
• Independent Catering: For school meals in 10 primary schools and 33 secondary schools across Kent and South East London
• ISS Caterhouse, Greater London: for school meals in Merton - serving 48 sites - 4,800 meals/day 
• Oldham Council. For meals in 98 primary schools across the authority - 14,000 meals/day
• Plymouth City Council: for meals across 78 schools, including 2 nurseries and 5 special schools - 8000 meals/day
• North Bristol NHS Trust, for covering the catering requirements for Southmead and Frenchay hospitals, providing approx. 1,300 and 1,400 covers respectively per day
• Northumberland County Council: all meals across 172 sites - 134 primary and 34 middle schools 
• Nottingham University Hospital Trust: for their City Hospital menu - 8,000 meals/day
• Thurrock Catering Services, London Borough of Thurrock: for all meals across their 35 schools

To find out more about the Food for Life catering mark and how to apply please contact catering@foodforlife.org.uk or 0117 914 2406.