MUCH HAS been made of the standard of hospital food, but green shoots of improvement are appearing.
Coed Du Hall, a care home in North Wales, has been awarded the Gold Catering Mark by the Soil Association. Head chef Stephanie Steel has also been crowned the Catering Mark Awards for Excellence Champion 2015 in the hospital section.
Caterers in the Soil Association’s scheme are given points based the percentage of organic, free range and certified-sustainable food they serve. There are also points for sourcing local food, increasing the number of meat-free dishes and a number of other health-related improvements.
For example, every 1% of organic food served equates to five points, whilst Freedom Food is three points for every 1%. A meat-free day will attract 20 points.
Coed is the first independent hospital to hit the strict Gold standard. As such, it joins three NHS hospitals in a select group. Over 30,000 meals are served to Catering Mark Standards – bronze, silver and gold combined – in hospitals and care settings every day.
