Brighton school children celebrated sustainable fish in the kitchen after all of the primary and special schools in Brighton & Hove were Marine Stewardship Council certified. The certification comes through Brighton & Hove City Council’s school meals contractor, Eden Foodservice and means that the schools will serve MSC certified sustainable fish to pupils.
Why it is important
Eating oily fish has been shown to improve cognition and agility in performing mental tasks and school meals guidelines mean it has to be on the menu at least once every three weeks. By serving certified sustainable fish, the Council and Eden Foodservice are ensuring that that they are helping look after the future of the oceans while serving the most sustainable fish to the children today.
To celebrate the certification, a group of pupils learnt how to cook some of the new sustainable options with their parents. Rupert Howes, CEO of the Marine Stewardship Council also visitted to formally present the certificate to the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Bill Randall, and Eden Foodservice.
Part of ongoing commitments to sustainability
The Chair of the Council’s Children and Young People Committee, Councillor Sue Shanks, said: “It’s very important that fish are caught in an ethical manner. The school meals contract is an important part of our wider drive towards sustainable council services.”
Simon James, Managing Director of Eden Foodservice commented: “The achievement of gaining the Marine Stewardship Council certification is part of our ongoing commitment to deliver a sustainable service today in order to protect tomorrow; as well providing high quality school meals and promoting food education across the schools we serve in Brighton and Hove”
Sally Lane, Operations Director from Eden Foodservice added: “At Eden we understand the importance of using sustainable produce which reinforces our commitment to health, safety, quality, reliability, natural resource conservation and protection of the environment. We hope that the achievement of this accreditation encourages more parents and pupils in to try our nutritionally balanced school meals and see for themselves how tasty and what good value they are.”
Roberta Emmott, Brighton & Hove Food Partnership added: “Sustainable fish is a confusing issue and the MSC label can help consumers, both young and old choose fish that meets environmental standards. It’s great to see children and parents taking part in this event, where they’ll get to do some hands-on cookery, as well as get to taste some local catch. We’re a coastal city, and the MSC certification of fish in all primary and special schools puts Brighton & Hove firmly on the map as a Sustainable Fish City.”
Investing in the future
Ruth Westcott, Commercial Officer for the Marine Stewardship Council says: “This is fantastic news for the children and schools in Brighton and Hove. By choosing sustainable fish for their menus, they are helping to protect the marine environment, making sure that there will be fish for school meals for them and for future generations. By getting MSC certified and providing certified sustainable fish, Eden Foodservice is investing in the future of the oceans – as well as the future of our classrooms.”
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