BaxterStorey, the UK’s leading independent provider of workplace restaurants, delis and coffee bars, has been awarded the Soil Association’s prestigious bronze Food for Life Catering Mark in recognition of the fresh and healthy meals it serves to students and staff at the University of Gloucestershire.
The Food for Life Catering Mark brings together all of the issues people care about – health, climate change and animal welfare. It recognises restaurants and caterers who serve fresh food which is free from additives and better for animal welfare. More and more, people want to know where their food comes from and how it was produced. The Food for Life Catering Mark offers a guarantee that fresh food you can trust is always on the menu, so customers can tuck-in with a clear conscience.
BaxterStorey secured the Catering Mark as a commendation for its hot lunchtime meals on offer across all three of the University’s campus refectories at Oxstalls in Gloucester, and The Park and Francis Close Hall in Cheltenham. The accolade makes the University of Gloucestershire only the sixteenth university in the country to have received the accreditation.
Commenting on the achievement, James Back, General Manager at BaxterStorey at the University of Gloucestershire said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have achieved the bronze Food for Life Catering Mark for our focus on providing sustainably produced meals for the staff, students and visitors at the University of Gloucestershire. The award will help our customers to recognise that the food they eat at the university is freshly prepared and sourced in an ethical and environmentally-friendly way.”
Explaining the importance of the Catering Mark, James Twine, Business Development Director, Soil Association Certification, said: “I would like to personally congratulate BaxterStorey on achieving the bronze Catering Mark for lunches served at The University of Gloucestershire. It is an excellent achievement and recognises the vital role that fresh, seasonal meals play in healthy, planet-friendly menus, especially for large-scale catering. The Catering Mark reassures customers that their meals are free from trans fats, guarantee traceability and are prepared from scratch.”
The Catering Mark is open to all food providers. The bronze, silver and gold tiers recognise caterers who serve more locally produced, healthy and organic food. Caterers with the bronze Catering Mark serve seasonal meals which are freshly prepared and free from undesirable additives including MSG, tartrazine and aspartame. No GM ingredients are used and all eggs are free range.