Better School Dinners:

Summary

On 4 September, over 100 people came together to explore the benefits, issues and opportunities in sustainable, local food procurement and provision by the public sector for schools in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire. The event was organised by the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming, in association with Adventa, Gloucestershire Food Links, and Herefordshire Food Links. The event took place at Bridges Community Centre in Monmouth. The day began with delegates hearing about the procurement process and rules, the experience of St Peter's Primary school in Nottingham, an example of a producer group supplying local food to local schools in Wiltshire, and the work of South Gloucestershire's schools catering service. In the afternoon delegates split into groups (local authorities and support agencies, producers and suppliers, and schools) to consider what was already happening in the three counties, who was doing it, what obstacles and opportunities exist in the school meals' system, and to develop ideas to overcome these obstacles or realise the opportunities. The day ended with a plenary session involving discussions of the issues covered throughout the day.
The summaries and action plans that follow come from the presentations, discussions and ideas generated at the event. They set out to reflect and build on the views expressed by participants.