Sourcing Local Sustainable Food

Since 2003, the catering team at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has been working to provide a sustainable food service as part of the Trust's Good Corporate Citizenship initiative, including sustainable food procurement.

NUH wanted to encourage a local, sustainable food supply - reducing food miles and waste, and strengthening the local community. The catering team began to include contract specifications to help local suppliers compete with national suppliers - allowing them to bid within a budget, rather than supply the cheapest product. The team also began to give additional weight to bids from suppliers who invest in sustainable initiatives. The Trust discovered that many local suppliers surpass the national NHS standards for food procurement, and have well established sustainable methods of their own.

NUH is now helping local producers and businesses become part of a national contract enabling them to supply all NHS operations. By sourcing food locally where possible, the catering team is able to provide fresh, healthy food, helping to reduce patient recovery times and improve health.

Extract taken from article on NHSSustainability.co.uk "Sustainable Food Service" on 23 November 2010.