BRADFORD Council’s in-house school meals service were presented with an award in recognition of its work serving fresh, nutritious meals to the district's children.

The Facilities Management Catering Services received Soil Association’s bronze “Food for Life Served Here” award at Bankfoot Primary School on Monday.

Award holders have to prove that they maintain high standards of traceability, freshness and provenance in the ingredients they serve. The award recognises restaurants and caterers who serve fresh food which is free from controversial additives and better for animal welfare, and includes a rigorous on-site inspection.

Facilities Management Catering Services provides lunches to approximately 31, 000 children each day and over 6 million meals per year.

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The school meals service is in a position where it makes an important contribution to the dietary health of children across the district. The achievement of the award is an indication of the service’s on going commitment to investt and improver their services for the benefit of local schools and their children.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, said:

“Achieving the bronze Food for Life Served Here award is a fantastic reward for the hard work our Facilities Management team have put in to the service .

“We’ve always strived to serve fresh and nutritious meals, and this award recognises our commitment. We’re already thinking about how we can work towards our silver award”.

James Cashmore, Director, Food for Life, said: "The bronze Food for Life Served Here award is an excellent achievement which recognises the vital role that serving local, fresh and honest food cooked by chefs who really care about quality and ingredients play in creating a healthy school meal for pupils every day.

"It reassures pupils, parents and teachers that the meals served in school meet standards set by government, are free from GM ingredients and trans fats, are cooked from scratch and are contributing to a planet friendly approach to food. A huge congratulations to Bradford Council’s school meals service on achieving the award."