Metropolitan Police catering service praised for using free range eggs

17th November 2009, 7:40am

The Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) decision to only buy free range eggs was recognised at the inaugural Good Food on the Public Plate awards at City Hall last night.

The awards, presented by Rosie Boycott who chairs the London Food Board, went to 15 universities, hospitals and other public sector bodies who have made great strides to make the food they serve more sustainable by serving food that is local, seasonal, Fair Trade or assured by an animal welfare scheme.

Rosie Boycott said: "The Metropolitan Police Service have certainly proved themselves as good eggs in winning this award. Their decision to only buy free range eggs is 'cracking' news for their staff, for the environment and for the welfare of animals."

She continued: "The winners of the Good Food on the Public Plate awards show that public sector food can be delicious, healthy and good for the planet. Crucially taking these steps with creativity means good food need not cost the earth at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure. These food champions provide a great example that other organisations should follow."

The Metropolitan Police Service will now buy over a million British free range eggs a year.

Caroline Mortimer, director of catering for the MPS: "For the last year the MPS has been working closely with Sustain looking at how we source our produce. As a result of this successful partnership the MPS has moved to using only free range eggs, increased its use of sustainable fish and has trained staff in seasonal menu planning. 

"The award reflects the excellent work of the team and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Sustain and passing on the benefits to our customer."

Good Food on the Public Plate organised their inaugural awards to celebrate and recognise those in the public sector who are working hard to make sure that the meals they serve not only taste good but benefit the environment.

The public sector serves over a billion meals a year to school children, hospital patients and the state's most vulnerable citizens.

The winners have all made one or more significant changes – some have converted to only using free range eggs, or no longer buy bottled water. Others are now buying fish from certified sustainable sources or have committed to only buying British bacon – which is guaranteed to come from a source where welfare standards are better than those often found outside the UK.

Good Food on the Public Plate Project Officer Jon Walker asserts that "London's public sector institutions are leading the way in the procurement of sustainable food both collaboratively and individually proving it is possible to purchase sustainable food cost effectively".

Other award winners include: 

• Royal Holloway University for introducing free range eggs

• Ensuring no endangered fish are served and promoting vegetarian food

• Enfield school catering services for serving only fresh English apples when in season and free range eggs

• Birkbeck University of London, Greenwich University and Queen Mary University of London for no longer using bottled water in any meetings or events on campus and so reducing the amount of waste they produce 

• South London and Maudsley NHS Trust will also be winning an award for replacing liquid eggs with Free Range eggs at Lambeth Hospital

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Jorca

17 November 2009 at 9:06am

Wow, well done to these public sector institutions for showing the rest of the catering industry what is possible. Time for the contract caterers to show they care and the goverment to start making policy decsions.

Wheeler

23 November 2009 at 10:12am

Well done Met Police in leading the way on animal welfare. Where they lead, hopefully others will follow. The government should be doing more to help all public sector organisations make this change.

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