Pupils, patients, and public sector workers across England will benefit from healthier, more sustainably sourced meals as several councils, including Middlesbrough, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, and Cambridge, receive £155,000 each to strengthen local food procurement. The funding will help councils improve how food is sourced, increase access to nutritious and sustainable options, and support local and small food businesses in supplying the public sector.
With nearly £5 billion spent annually on public sector food and catering, the initiative aims to use this purchasing power to improve public health, back local producers, and build sustainable supply chains. The program builds on councils’ Gold Food for Life Served Here or Gold Sustainable Food Places accreditations, promoting transformational change in food procurement and contributing to the government’s Good Food Cycle.
Lessons from the funded councils are expected to guide other areas in sourcing healthier, more sustainable food, supporting local economies, and meeting the ambition for at least half of public sector food to come from local or environmentally certified sources.
