Made good, for life

ABsolutely Catering awarded Bronze Food For Life Catering Mark and retains top level Food Made Good rating

Posted by Stephanie Broad | March 30, 2016 | Catering & hospitality

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Education caterer ABsolutely Catering has been awarded the Bronze Food For Life Catering Mark and retained the top level three-star Food Made Good rating for serving fresh and healthy meals from sustainably-sourced food. 

More and more, people want to know where their food comes from and how it has been made. This latest acknowledgement recognises the caterer’s approach to serving fresh food which is free from controversial additives, better for animal welfare and the environment.

Providing a fresh food service to junior and senior schools across the UK, ABsolutely Catering produces around 22,000 meals each school day. Following rigorous inspections, the caterer has achieved these catering marks in each of their 74 education contracts, proving they maintain high standards of traceability, freshness and provenance.

Sharon Linney, Operations Director for ABsolutely Catering, says: “We are passionate about the agenda for healthy school meals and we take great pride in helping children understand the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet and knowing more about where their food comes from. I am delighted that our ongoing commitment has enabled us to gain these accreditations.” 

Martin Sawyer, Chief Executive of Soil Association Certification, says: “The Bronze Catering Mark is an excellent achievement which recognises the vital role that fresh, seasonal meals play in healthy, planet-friendly menus, especially for large-scale catering. It reassures customers that their meals are free from GM ingredients, trans fats and prepared from scratch. A huge congratulations to ABsolutely Catering on achieving the Catering Mark.” 

Helping pupils to know more about healthy eating and where their food comes from led to the caterer scoring 100% in the healthy eating section of the Sustainable Restaurant Association Food Made Good rating. The independent assessment saw ABsolutely become the first schools’ caterer to achieve the top level three-star rating in 2014 and are still the only schools caterer with this top level rating. 

Mark Linehan, Managing Director of the SRA, says: “All food service businesses have a huge responsibility to serve sustainably sourced food that doesn’t cost the earth. Serving 22,000 meals every school day places an extra responsibility on ABsolutely Catering. The company has accepted that challenge and with the various new initiatives it’s implemented, demonstrated a fantastic commitment to ensure the next generation enjoys good food and understands what it is.”