Sustainability update: greener gardens and food

Kitchen Garden roll out at The Limes and Clayponds

Teams at The Limes and Clayponds Hospital have been busy installing their very own Kitchen gardens. The Kitchen gardens will enable patients to engage with growing their own vegetables, herbs and use the fresh produce in their cooking.

The gardens are bespoke and have a variety of vegetables planted such as; kale, sweet peppers, strawberries, runner beans, rhubarb and lemon thyme to name a few. Patients have begun to visit them regularly and the staff at Clayponds Hospital are lending their gardening talents to care for them.

Bronze accreditation - Food for Life served here

The Trust and OCS are delighted our Fresh cook service was awarded the Food for Life Served here (FFLSH) Bronze accreditation in Sustainability from the Soil Association.

The Bronze accreditation is awarded to caterers that meet the following criteria;

• At least 75% of dishes on the menu are freshly prepared (on site or at a local hub kitchen) from unprocessed ingredients.
• All meat is from farms which satisfy UK animal welfare standards.
• No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fish to avoid’ list.
• Eggs are from free range hens.
• No undesirable additives or artificial trans fats are used.
• No genetically modified ingredients are used.
• Free drinking water is prominently available.
• Menus are seasonal and in-season produce is highlighted.
• Information is on display about food provenance.
• Menus provide for all dietary and cultural needs.
• All suppliers have been verified to ensure they apply appropriate food safety standards.
• Catering staff are supported with skills training in fresh food preparation and the Catering Mark.

This encourages long term sustainable shifts to how we think about food, our environment and health. Our partnership with OCS, has transformed the catering culture at the Trust to promote healthier food choices.

Our commitment to becoming greener is taking place in small stages and we are a step closer to achieving our sustainable goals set out in the green plan.

If you or your team have stories on sustainable changes you have made to your work environment, please get in touch communications@westlondon.nhs.uk  so we can continue to share how you #playyourpart #WestLondongoesgreen