A fortnight-long initiative has started today to inspire public sector caterers to source more British food for schools and hospitals.
Communities across the country are coming together to celebrate British Food Fortnight, launched today, with campaigners urging the public sector to put more local food on plates.
Delayed in memory of Her Majesty The Queen, British Food Fortnight 2022, which ends 2 October, has a particular focus on food provided in schools and hospitals.
Hundreds of schools and NHS Trusts are taking part in the initiative, with organisers Love British Food wanting to further demonstrate the advantages of providing local food.
The event is also being used to highlight the benefits of robust, short supply chains – particularly in the public sector that buys £2.6bn of food every year.
With uncertainty of supply as a result of the ongoing Ukraine war, organisers have been working to inspire the public sector to source directly from British farmers.
Food festivals will be taking place during the two weeks, giving the public the opportunity to meet farmers and food producers.
Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, the group which organises British Food Fortnight, said: “This year’s event is the culmination of months of hard work by catering teams across the country.
"We set out to inspire public sector caterers to put more quality British food on school and hospital menus and the hundreds of schools and many NHS Trusts taking part show how much has been achieved.
"With the government potentially introducing new buying standards that will require the public sector to ‘aspire to sourcing 50% of its food locally or to higher environmental production standards’ the activities taking place during British Food Fortnight are an important foundation to achieving this.”
As part of the initiative, the annual National Harvest service takes place on 25 September at Chester Cathedral, where the Harvest Torch that has toured the country since being blessed in Westminster Abbey in 2013 has just arrived.
Her Majesty The Queen Consort initiated the first National Harvest service that year, and will send a message of support to this year’s service.
Defra Secretary Ranil Jayawardena welcomed the start of the initiative: "British Food Fortnight is a chance for us to all learn more about where our food comes from, and enjoy Britain’s best seasonal, locally-sourced products.
“From Hereford beef to Scottish smoked salmon, British food and drink is the best in the world and the businesses who produce it employ more people than our automotive and aerospace manufacturers put together."
