Key Issue 5
Transforming catering and procurement and revitalising local and sustainable food supply chains
5A: Change policy and practice to put good food on people’s plates
Press publicity on local sustainable food policies
Council policy
The City Council’s Sustainable Food Policy and newly agreed Climate Change Strategy commits to incorporating sustainable food principles in catering contracts and food procurement, including public events. Folk Festival (14,000 visitors annually), specifies sustainable food and packaging in trader terms and conditions. They encourage implementation through advice and green deposit scheme, the donation of surplus food, and an ‘outstanding A Greener Festival’ award (including procurement). Similar approach has been used for other events. The Council is in process of installing 10 new drinking fountains in the city, switched to reusable cups from indoor water dispensers and promotes Refill scheme (110 refill points).
Wider food policies and accreditations
Cambridge University has had a comprehensive Sustainable Food Policy since 2016 including no ruminant meat, reducing meat and dairy, and promoting plant-based options. The University Sustainability Department, which includes sustainable food, latest reviewed policy states that land use footprint has reduced 25%, and their carbon footprint has reduced 34%, while still increasing profits. Colleges’ Catering Managers’ Committee (CMC), represented on Cambridge Sustainable Food’s Partnership Board, has an agreed Sustainable Food Policy (2018). 12 colleges have sustainable food policy statements. Colleges serve 100 million meals plus per year to students, tourists and conference delegates. University Sustainability Department links to colleges’ food actions.
Cambridge University catering
Chair of College Catering Managing Committee (represented on the Cambridge Sustainable Food Partnership Board) collects data on colleges and university:
• 9 Colleges and University Catering Service Good Egg Award
• University Catering Service and Anglia Ruskin University and 3 colleges have Fairtrade status, 8 others sell products/follow principles
• 4 colleges have a Sustainable Restaurant Association award (3-star (1), 2-star (2), 1-star (1))
• Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge University Catering Service and 6 other colleges use MSC fish; and 22 have signed the Sustainable Fish Cities pledge (following Cambridge Sustainable Food’s campaign, Cambridge received one Sustainable Food Places star)
• 19 colleges have won Green Impact Scheme awards (including food), run by University Sustainability Department: 5 platinum, 11 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
• 19 colleges have a “no single-use plastic bottles” policy, using water fountains and selling Keep Cups, serving tap water in reusable glass bottles at formals.
Other food policies and accreditation
25 nurseries, schools, and colleges, teaching over 9,000 children, are catered by a Food For Life Served Here contractor and hold award Food For Life awards themselves (9 Gold, 15 Bronze, 2 Early Years). Lunchtime Company caters to 9 schools (Bronze FFL, Good Egg Award, MSC fish). Aspens Services caters to 4 schools and colleges, (Gold FFL, Good Egg Award). Sodexo has a Bronze Food For Life award (Nuffield Hospital and Astrazeneca). Bradfield Centre catered by CH & Co (Food For Life Silver Award, 3-star SRA, use cage-free eggs, higher-welfare meat, and has responsible seafood policies).
Moller Institute serves 25,000 per year and has a purchasing policy, using MSC fish, free-range eggs and chicken, Fairtrade products, ISO 14001, Gold Green Tourism Award (both include food). Wilson Vale caters to Microsoft Research canteen and Clare Hall (MSC fish and European Chicken Commitment). 16 Cambridge venues are Sustainable Restaurant Association members.
Cambridge Sustainable Food’s Business Award Scheme (33 assessed, 28 award-holders (7 gold, 16 silver, 5 bronze)) includes points for sustainable sourcing policy, seasonal menus and stock, higher welfare meat, eggs and dairy, organic produce, MSC fish, Fairtrade products, and links to the Healthier Options scheme membership and providing healthy products. Cambridge Sustainable Food offers online guidance materials and sustainable food policy templates for businesses and organisations. CSF CIC developed policies and self-assessment toolkit for EIT Food MAKEit programme members and caterers across Europe, led by Cambridge University.
5B: IMPROVING CONNECTIONS AND COLLABORATION ACROSS THE LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN
Cambridge Sustainable Food award badge
Sustainable food procurement group
A Cambridge cross-sector procurement working group has been established, including Cambridge Sustainable Food, a City Council procurement officer, Cambridge Food Hub and Food For Life regional manager. Terms of reference include tracking/recording and promoting sustainable catering accreditations. Established in 2019, the group had met twice and begun to prepare a work plan, when lockdown started. Since then no meetings have been held. Collecting data to track local policies and accreditations had already started, with details of universities/colleges/other organisations and businesses. Colleges Catering Managers Committee also works on sustainable procurement across University colleges.
Promoting sustainable/local producers
Cambridge Sustainable Food’s Sustainable Food Directory includes a wholesale section to enable local businesses to find local, sustainable suppliers. Madingley Hall (Cambridge University), hosted several “meet the supplier” events over the last few years, focusing on sustainable and local food. Cambridge Sustainable Food invited local suppliers to have stalls at business networking meetings organized around the Sustainable Food Pledge and Award Scheme for Businesses.
Cambridge Organic sources produce from 12 local growers and sells other local and sustainable food (eggs, honey, baked goods, preserves) from 19 local suppliers via its organic box delivery scheme, supplying business-to-business customers and households.
Increasing market access and developing a strategic approach
Cambridge Food Hub is reaching out to local producers to increase their access to larger scale markets and develop shorter supply chains. It has been part of Open Food Network (business-to-business sales) since 2019, with 16 local producers and growers promoted virtually through the Hub. Some colleges have placed orders with the Hub via the Network and others have committed to do the same. The Hub recently secured a meanwhile lease on premises in City Council-owned north Cambridge development, which will form part of a sustainable food quarter. This will enable further development of local supply chains and increased market access for small-scale local producers.
Cambridge University requires all companies included on University's Preferred Supplier List to meet the requirements of its Sustainable Food Policy. Product specification (seasonality, local sourcing, vegetarian/vegan/special diets) and sustainability account for 40% of weighting in scoring system for new tenders. University Catering Service and College caterers are members of the Catering Managers’ Committee (CMC), which decides the Preferred Supplier List. Sustainability criteria are included in all CMC contracts. Local/regional suppliers are represented in each food procurement category, from which colleges can choose to buy e.g. Hilary’s vegetables, Radwinter game. Around two thirds of annual spend is with locally/regionally based suppliers.