Hurrah! Richmond Schools get Silver service.

Campaigning works! Richmond parents asked for freshly prepared sustainable food and they've got it. From September school meals in 29 primary schools in LB Richmond will meet Silver Food for Life standards. Read the press release below. Happy Days.

PRESS RELEASE 04/05/11

From September, 29 primary schools in LB Richmond will be receiving freshly prepared school meals which meet the Food for Life Silver Catering Mark. This means that children are guaranteed to receive high-quality food made from sustainable ingredients free-range eggs, ‘Red Tractor’ meat, Freedom Food chicken and pork, organic milk and bread, and with no GM ingredients. Furthermore, parents will be thrilled with the news that the price they pay per meal will be reduced by up to 40p.

The new contract with ISS Facility Services as a successor to the current contractor Sodexo, is the result of months of partnership working by Richmond's school meals working party and the happy conclusion to four years campaigning by the local charity School Food Matters. SFM was able to bring to the working party quality research and the expertise of partner organisations championing sustainable public sector food, particularly Sustain; the alliance for better food and farming and the Food for Life Partnership.

Stephanie Wood, Campaign Director and key member of the school meals working party said "The 500 parents that signed our petition and a further 700 parents that responded to the SFM survey asked for freshly prepared sustainable school food. They have finally got what they asked for. This is a triumph for parent power and evidence of what can be achieved when a local authority invites all the players to the policy table. It's been a pleasure working with Richmond Council and local headteachers and I would recommend this process to any local authority that wants to provide a meal service they can be proud of."

Cabinet Member for Schools, Cllr Paul Hodgins, added: “I would like to congratulate the working party on the great work it has done for the participating schools’ pupils and parents."

School Food Matters has also been working with Kingston Council on their school meals contract. The Kingston contract will be awarded by the end of May and the winning caterer will be delivering Food for Life Bronze Standard menus to schools as a minimum.

Ends

Notes to editors

The contract starts in late July, with implementation of service from the start of the autumn term, and will last for three years with the option of extending it for two one-year periods.

ISS will invest up to £80,000 to improve kitchens at all 29 schools which are part of the deal so meals can be cooked on the premises.

ISS will harmonise terms and conditions of all staff so that no-one employed on the contract is worse off than anyone else at the equivalent grade. This addresses the concerns recently raised by Unison.