Home-grown British food accounts for three-quarters of the NHS's £200m annual food budget, it has emerged.
This year’s British Food Fortnight, the biggest annual celebration of local food, shines a light on the NHS and the hospitals who continue to buy and serve local and seasonal food.
According to the Hospital Caterers Association, hospitals are thanking British farmers by buying plenty of British food, accounting for 75% of the entire food budget.
British Food Fortnight, which starts in autumn, will be paying tribute to hospital caterers who continue to serve the very best British ingredients in healthy meals, day in day out.
It coincides with the year-long celebration of the founding of the NHS, which turned 70 on 5 July 2018.
All members of the Hospital Caterers Association will now be offered a new, specially designed Love British Food/NHS logo in recognition of their support for British food and farming.
'Seasonal ingredients'
PS100, a group which advocates healthy eating in the public sector, said it is "encouraging" to see hospitals back British and turn away cheaper imports.
The group's chair, Andy Jones said: “While the average budget for food only per patient per day is just £3.45, by using good quality, British seasonal ingredients, it’s possible to provide healthy and hearty meals for patients within this budget.
“Chris Neale, Head of Catering at Nottingham University Hospital, is saving £500k a year by procuring approximately 65% of their food locally, and taking patients meal order 3 hours before the next meal service and distributing to its 90 wards where it is reheated using Burlodge ovens.
“It is important that patients of Nottingham University Hospital know the provenance of the ingredients used in their meals and we promote this at every opportunity,” Mr Jones added.
It follows news of 140 MPs from across the political spectrum displaying their support for the British farming industry last week, by wearing a specially made wheat-pin badge.
