Waltham Forest Council has won a national award for its healthy and sustainable school food, for the second year running.
It’s the only council caterer in the country to achieve a Gold Award in the ProVeg School Plates Awards – a national accreditation scheme recognising nutritious and eco-friendly menus, and is one of only two Gold Awards issued in the UK.
Waltham Forest Catering serves around 15,000 meals a day and caters for over 49 schools across the borough.
The ProVeg School Plates Awards launched in 2023 and aim to set the standards for low-carbon menus across UK schools. The Awards are designed to recognise the positive steps taken by caterers to create healthier, climate-friendly menus.
How can caterers achieve an award?
To be eligible for an award, caterers must take various steps to promote plant-based school meals, which produce significantly less carbon than meat-based dishes. The dishes must be nutritionally-balanced and, of course, tasty, while also encouraging children to opt for more sustainable choices at lunchtime.
Alex Jemison, School Plates Awards Coordinator at ProVeg UK, said: “We’re thrilled to acknowledge the incredible work that Waltham Forest Catering is doing to create healthier and more sustainable menus. Not only are they actively improving children’s health, they are also protecting their future. In the midst of a global climate crisis, reducing food emissions has never been more pressing, so it’s heartwarming to see how much effort and care has gone into this wonderful example of a gold-standard, plant-powered, and climate-friendly menu.”
What’s on the menu for Waltham Forest?
Working with ProVeg UK, a non-profit organisation, the schools’ award-winning menus have come to include a wider range of delicious, planet-friendly dishes that the children love. Dishes include ‘Planet Pizza Wedge with Skin On Fries,’ ‘Smokey Campfire Casserole with Diced Potatoes,’ and ‘Sri Lankan Sweet Potato and Coconut Curry with Mixed Rice,’ all available alongside a salad-counter. They also have two planet-friendly food days every week, helping children to make the connection between their food and its impact on the planet.
James Hughes, Head of Waltham Forest Catering said, “Our catering service is committed to providing the most inclusive service possible.
Working in partnership with ProVeg has definitely been a benefit to all pupils. As the only Council caterer in the country to retain the Gold award we can look forward to continually serving our pupils healthier meals.”
Natalie Kruger, Head of Operations for Services to Schools, added, “Waltham Forest Council is committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Collaborating with ProVeg in our Schools Catering Service is one way in which we translate our ambitions around sustainability into action whilst also encouraging healthy behaviour change in our borough’s youngest food consumers.”
ProVeg UK is currently working with 91 major catering partners across the UK through its School Plates programme, covering over 8,000 schools. Since the programme launched in 2018, the non-profit has helped turn tens of millions of school dinners meat-free or plant-based while developing tasty, nutritious, and sustainable menus.
All UK schools can participate in The ProVeg School Plates Awards for free. To learn more, visit School Plates, or if you are a school caterer and would like to submit your menu for review, send it to [email protected].
