Love British Food completes 9th farm visit for the NHS and launches new film to inspire catering teams
Alexia Robinson • July 18, 2024
As Love British Food completes its 9th farm visit for NHS caterers, they launch a new film to inspire catering managers, procurement teams and Trust CEOs to consider the connection between how food is produced and its contribution to patient outcomes.
The film was made at Holkham Estate in Norfolk where Alexia Robinson, Founder and CEO of Love British Food, led the most recent farm visit in the campaign’s programme to encourage NHS catering teams to consider British sourcing.
Film:
Love British Food has now hosted 43 hospitals from 36 NHS Trusts on farm visits. 193 people have attended these visits, but the message has reached far more as catering managers have gone back to their trusts to discuss the importance and role of British sourcing with their dietitian and procurement leads.
Alexia Robinson, Love British Food Founder, commented:
“We know it is not enough to ask catering teams to buy British. We need to explain why. So, the aim of these farm visits has been to enthuse catering teams to see ‘buying British’ as a ‘carrot’ rather than a ‘Buying Standards stick’ as I fear the perpetually consulted upon New Government Buying Standards make it sound. I genuinely believe these visits have created excitement about buying British in NHS catering teams. Together with the farmers who have hosted the visits with me, we have answered the question ‘Why buy British’ and explained how doing so contributes to patient outcomes, sustainability, net zero goals and Trusts’ role as anchor institutions for supporting their community. Love British Food has inspired caterers to think about the connection between how food is produced and its nutritional value and empowered those attending to go back into their Trusts and:
- Look at where they currently source from, produce a provenance map and discuss with suppliers.
- Consider flexible menus that enable seasonal sourcing.
- Discuss opportunities with their procurement teams and dietitians.
I always describe Love British Food’s ethos as ‘inspiring change-makers’ and these visits epitomise this.”
My yardstick of success is the comments of those who have attended the farm visits…’inspired, informed and empowered’ would be how I would summarise what they have all said. I think the debate about the public sector buying 50% British food and how it is defined is a fruitless exercise…. round and round in circles we go and the new Ministerial team will go as we have done for more than a decade. I believe to my core that there is a better way…inspiring, empowering and enabling catering teams, food service organisations and suppliers rather than issuing diktats.”
Phil Shelley, Chair NHS Food Review, National Lead for Net Zero Food:
“The farm visit programme that Alexia has created for our teams has influenced and empowered those attending to go back into their Trusts and take actions, including, where they currently source their food and how to create flexible menus with seasonal products. Love British Food’s farm visits have opened up conversations and started to prepare the larger manufactures and distributors to work differently. Relationships are being built as a result and they changing the mentality and methodology in the attitude to buying British and working directly with the farming industry.
Good food continues to be at the heart of our health and well-being, and the link between field and the plate never changes.”
Tim Radcliffe, Net Zero Food Programme Manager:
“The benefits from Love British Food’s farm visits may take time to show. When you plant a seed, you don’t get fruit that year or even next year.
But what we are doing through the farm visit programme is planting seeds, raising the consciousness and highlighting the opportunities. This is as much for farmers and growers as caterers. Our aim is to have a more robust, transparent, sustainable British supply chain. This provides better outcomes for our patients and puts our hospitals at the heart of our communities. And Alexia’s work taking NHS catering teams round farms is a key part of achieving this.”
Notes to Editor:
Links to Films and further detail on the farm visits:
Norfolk Farm Visit (Long): https://youtu.be/FWIJMYmySrI
Norfolk Farm Visit (Short): https://youtu.be/mU5QReBUcRM
Details of all farms visits: https://lovebritishfood.co.uk/farm-visits-for-caterers
List of Love British Food Farm Visits for NHS caterers:
Overbury Estate nr Tewkesbury, Feb 2022
Hollis Mead Organic Dairy, West Dorset, May 2022
Moor Farm, Hereford Beef, North Shropshire, May 2023
The Organic Pantry vegetable growers, Tadcaster, Yorkshire, May 2023
Farm Ed, regenerative farming demonstration centre, September 2023
Public Sector Influencers event: Hammonds End mixed farm, Hertfordshire, March 2024
Carraig Dubh Dexters Hammonds End Farm, Northern Ireland, May 2024
Holden Farm Dairy, Bwlchwernen Fawr, Lampeter, Wales, June 2024
Holkham Estate, June 2024
43 hospitals across 36 Trusts, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have attended Love British Food’s Farm Visits:
HOSPITALS THAT HAVE ATTENDED LOVE BRITISH FOOD FARM VISITS
England
- Ashford & St Peters Hospital
- Bradford Teaching Hospital
- Christchurch Hospital
- Countess of Chester NHS Hospital Trust
- Darlington Memorial Hospital
- Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
- East Cheshire NHS Trust
- Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust
- Hawkhurst Community Hospital
- James Paget University Hospital
- Kettering Hospital
- Manchester University Trust
- Milton Keynes University Hospital
- Musgrove Hospital
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- Northampton Healthcare Trust
- Nottingham University Hospital
- Oxford Health
- Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital
- Royal Bournemouth Hospital
- Royal Devon University Hospital
- Royal Free London
- Royal Hallamshire Hospital
- Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospital
- Sheffield Teaching Hospital
- Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital
- Solent NHS Trust
- Somerset NHS Trust
- Southmead Hospital
- South Tees Hospital
- South West Yorkshire Trust
- Stepping Hill Hospital
- Stockport NHS Trust
- Taunton Hospital
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- Warrington & Halton Teaching Hospital
N.Ireland
- Causeway Hospital
- Lagan Valley Hospital
- Antrim Area Hospital
- Downe Hospital
- Ulster Hospital
- Whiteabby Hospital
- Gansha Hospital
NHS TRUSTS THAT HAVE ATTENDED LOVE BRITISH FOOD FARM VISITS
England
- Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- East Cheshire NHS Trust
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust
- James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Kettering General Hospital
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Milton Keynes University Hospital
- NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board
- Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- Northampton General Hospital
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Free London
- Sandwell & Birmingham NHS Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
- Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
- The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Wales
- NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
- Hywel Dda UHB
- Velindre UHB
- Wales NHS Confederation
Northern Ireland
- Northern Health and Social Care Trust
- South Eastern Trust
- Western Trust
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