FE Case studies – food

Backing Local Firms Fund – Tonnes of change  

“We are excited to be growing veg for schools because it’s important that children have nutritious food and know where it comes from. Healthy food, healthy children, healthy Wales.”
— Geraint Evans, Welsh Grower

Introduction

The Welsh Veg in Schools initiative is a pioneering project that aims to increase the production and consumption of organic Welsh-grown vegetables by supplying them directly to primary schools. By aligning local food production with public sector procurement, the initiative offers a powerful example of how sustainable food systems can support health, education, and the environment, while strengthening local economies.

Launched with support from the Backing Local Firms Fund, the project brings together farmers, distributors, policymakers, and educators to deliver fresh, organic produce to school meals across Wales creating meaningful connections between children and the food they eat.

Background and vision

At the start of this project, an overwhelming 94% of vegetables used in primary schools in Wales were sourced from outside the country, often frozen and non-organic. The Welsh Veg in Schools project set out to change that by:

  • Increasing local organic vegetable production.
  • Creating new markets for Welsh growers.
  • Promoting sustainable agriculture and biodiversity.
  • Supporting children’s health and food education.

The project is coordinated by Food Sense Wales, in collaboration with Castell Howell (Wales’ largest food distributor) and Farming Connect Horticulture, run by Lantra. These partners are part of a wider network of growers and stakeholders working to create a fairer, more resilient food system in Wales.

Growth and progress

Woman smiling inside a poly tunnel used for growing veg

What began three years ago with just one grower has now grown into a vibrant, multi-stakeholder project. By 2024:

  • 8 growers were actively supplying schools.
  • 14 tonnes of organic Welsh veg were used in school meals.
  • The project reached 219 schools across 6 local authority areas – Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire, Powys, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan.
  • 400 children visited four farms enabling them to connect directly with the land and the farmers growing their food.

By 2025, the initiative has scaled to:

  • 15 local growers participating.
  • 12 local authorities engaged.
  • 3 wholesale partners distributing produce across school catering networks.

This expansion means that approximately 1 million portions of local, organic veg will be served to school children in Wales.

Challenges and lessons learned

2023 presented significant challenges:

  • Delays with funding disrupted planning cycles, misaligning crop production with school meal requirements.
  • Adverse weather led to reduced yields, impacting supply.

However, these challenges led to valuable learning:

  • Earlier coordination with local authorities began in late 2023, allowing better crop planning.
  • More growers were brought on board to build resilience and reduce risk.
  • Castell Howell’s existing supply chains absorbed surplus produce, avoiding waste.

The Backing Local Firms Fund played a critical role in allowing experimentation, system development, and the formation of new networks. It also opened doors to collaborate with other food projects across Wales.

Impact and looking ahead

The project has proven that a local, organic supply chain for school food is not only possible but desirable. Interest has grown across Wales and beyond, with stakeholders from across the UK contacting the team to learn how to replicate the model in their own regions.

Key highlights to date include:

  • A shift from imported to local organic veg in school meals.
  • Creation of alternative income streams for Welsh growers.
  • Hands-on learning experiences for children, connecting food, farming, and health.
  • The establishment of a new North Wales growers’ group, expanding the reach of the project across the country.

In April 2025, Food Sense Wales published a series of reports noting the project’s achievements. You can read the various reports by clicking on the relevant links below:

Welsh Veg in Schools: Summary Report

Welsh Veg in Schools: Full Report

The Story of Welsh Veg in Schools

Looking to the future, Food Sense Wales is actively exploring new funding opportunities to grow the project further. The ambition is clear: to bring more Welsh-grown organic produce into more Welsh schools, involving more local authorities, more growers, and more children in the journey toward a sustainable, healthy food system.

Conclusion

The Welsh Veg in Schools project exemplifies how public procurement can drive meaningful change, from farm to fork. It strengthens local economies, supports sustainable farming, and helps young people understand and appreciate where their food comes from. Thanks to the support of the Backing Local Firms Fund, the foundation is set for long-term, scalable success across Wales and beyond.

Backing Local Firms Fund – Tonnes of change   Read More »

Backing Local Firms Fund: Welsh Food for Schools – Larder Cymru

Launched in 2023, the Larder Cymru – Welsh Food for Schools project is a pioneering initiative led by Menter Môn to increase the use of Welsh food products in public sector school meals. With a focus on primary schools, the project aims to strengthen local supply chains, supporting and celebrating Welsh producers, thereby boosting the foundational economy while enhancing the nutritional and cultural value of school meals across Wales.

“The aim of Larder Cymru Welsh food for schools program initially was to essentially increase the procurement of Welsh products by the public sector in Wales.” – David Wylie, Menter Môn

Background and vision

The project was initially designed to support five local authorities: Cardiff, Caerphilly, Wrexham, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Anglesey, to embed more Welsh produce into school menus. Over time, it expanded to include three more: Powys, Denbighshire, and Conwy. The vision was clear: to create a more resilient, sustainable, and locally rooted food system for schools.

Funded by the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, Larder Cymru exemplifies how systematic change in foundational sectors such as food helps to boost Wales’s Foundational Economy. Localising procurement practices promotes economic development for Welsh businesses, enhances environmental sustainability by minimising supply chain emissions, and incorporates cultural identity through the celebration of Welsh food.

“By creating that circular economy approach where you’re actually putting public money back into the Welsh economy, you’re helping scale up local food businesses, which in turn is creating good and fair jobs for people in the local community.” – David Wylie, Menter Môn

Growth and progress

The project’s approach was tailored and collaborative. Each local authority received bespoke support, including:

  • Reviews of procurement frameworks,
  • Menu analysis
  • Hosting supplier engagement

One of the standout strategies was the facilitation of procurement roundtables in North Wales, where local authorities explored joint purchasing opportunities to achieve economies of scale. This led to tangible outcomes, such as Wrexham transitioning from an English supplier to the Welsh-based Harlech for frozen goods.

Face-to-face engagement was a cornerstone of the project’s success. Larder Cymru highlighted the importance of connecting the entire supply chain through in-person meetings with procurement teams, chefs, and suppliers, building mutual understanding and trust.

Challenges and lessons learned

Despite its successes, the project faced several challenges. Time constraints and delays in local authority processes, such as survey rollouts and menu redesigns, often slowed progress. For example, a parent survey in Cardiff faced technical issues and was delayed by nearly a year, impacting the timing of final project reporting.

Another challenge was working with external stakeholders & suppliers, which hindered the ability to review menus in some cases. However, the team adapted by supporting schools through grants for cooking equipment and garden tools, demonstrating the project’s flexibility.

Impact and looking ahead

The project has had a significant impact on not only procurement practices and community engagement but also the amount of Welsh food being supplied. For instance, Caerphilly Council doubled its spending on Welsh produce after engaging with Larder Cymru to identify additional Welsh suppliers. Furthermore, a redesign of the primary school menu to highlight local suppliers and provide imagery has further increased pupil uptake and therefore spend with suppliers. This new primary school menu features Welsh dragon icons and professional food photography to showcase what the meals look like. This model inspired similar initiatives in Wrexham, where Welsh dragon symbols were added next to the food, and a supplier map was included on menus to clearly indicate the origin of the food.

The initiative also sparked broader interest with its work across multiple local authorities, with suppliers like Castle Howell and Harlech gaining visibility at national events such as LACA. The project’s influence extended beyond schools, with independent Welsh businesses reaching out to explore new procurement opportunities.

Looking ahead, the team plans to pilot innovative ideas such as salad bars inspired by Swedish schools and expand support for the fruit and vegetable supply chain. A new staff member with a marketing background will help bring menu development in-house, increasing efficiency and sustainability.

Conclusion

Larder Cymru has proven to be a transformative project, not only increasing the presence of Welsh produce in schools but also fostering collaboration, innovation, and community pride. Its adaptable model, rooted in local engagement and strategic partnerships, offers a blueprint for future food system initiatives in Wales and beyond.

With continued support and long-term funding, the project has the potential to scale further, embedding Welsh food culture into the daily lives of schoolchildren and strengthening the foundational economy across the nation.

Backing Local Firms Fund: Welsh Food for Schools – Larder Cymru Read More »

Backing Local Firms Fund: Future Generations Menu

Led by Carmarthenshire County Council, the Future Generations Menu project emerged from a desire to address the economic and environmental consequences of relying on imported food in Welsh Schools. With support from the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, the team set out to create a replicable, open-source menu framework that could be adopted by local authorities beyond Carmarthenshire, across Wales. This menu would be aligned with a sustainability framework developed by the team, incorporating Welsh seasonality and produce grown on their own farm.

“Our original aim was to reduce the economic impact of imported foods and to bring that value into the Welsh economy.” – Alex Cook, Food Systems Development Project Manager, Carmarthenshire County Council

The Approach

The project took a collaborative and multi-layered approach. To redesign the menu, Chefs were commissioned to work directly with schools, engaging parents, catering staff, and teachers in a co-design process. Using a sustainability framework, the menus were ensured to align with Welsh seasonality and local farm production. Waste monitoring systems were put in place with hardware to collect baseline data of what was being wasted, enabling future comparisons once the new menu was implemented. The farm itself was also adapted to align its crop plan with the school calendar, a novel approach that ensured produce availability matched educational needs. Communications played a key role, with digital and physical assets created to raise awareness and bring together stakeholders from across the food and farming sectors.

Early outcomes and impact

Although implementation was delayed, early analysis suggests the project will have a significant impact. The project is predicted to see an anticipated 80% reduction in the carbon footprint of school meals, largely due to replacing imported foods with locally sourced alternatives and reducing meat content by 30%. This shift is expected to redirect public spending directly to local Welsh producers.

Beyond the quantitative outcomes, catering teams have become more engaged with the principles of sustainable food and have begun to understand their role in delivering on strategic objectives such as the Well-being of Future Generations Act. This cultural shift has been one of the most encouraging signs of progress.

“The softer impact has been around engaging with catering teams… helping them understand the importance of sustainable food.” – Alex Cook, Food Systems Development Project Manager, Carmarthenshire County Council

Evaluation

The project is now entering its proof-of-concept phase, with the new menu set to launch in three schools from September 2025. Evaluation will focus on the carbon and economic impact, food waste reduction, and meal uptake, using data from systems like ParentPay. The team is also planning to publish the menu and crop plan to support knowledge exchange and inspire other local authorities to procure from their local growers. One of the most promising signs is that the catering teams are continuing with the project beyond the initial funding.

 “One of the big impacts is that the catering team are running with it and carrying on with it post-funding,” – Alex Cook, Food Systems Development Project Manager, Carmarthenshire County Council

Challenges and learnings

One of the most significant challenges was the implementation gap between sustainability ideals and practical delivery. Catering teams and teachers often had conflicting perceptions of meal uptake and food waste, and there was a lack of reliable data to support either view. Communication between stakeholders was also a major hurdle, requiring outsourced support to improve engagement with parents and staff.

Operational issues, such as children selectively eating parts of their meals or choosing which days to participate, also impacted nutritional balance and waste. The team is now exploring new catering models, including consistent meal service and weekly sign-ups, to address these issues.

Impact on the Foundational Economy of Wales

The Future Gen Menu project directly supports the foundational economy by strengthening local supply chains, retaining jobs, and increasing the resilience of Welsh food systems. By aligning crop production with school needs and encouraging cooperative models among growers, the project is creating a more sustainable and locally rooted food infrastructure. The team is also working to re-establish an online food platform for local producers, aiming to create a cooperatively owned social enterprise that supports distribution and access.

Looking ahead

Building on all the knowledge gathered and data collected from the project, the next steps begin with the full roll-out for the Future Generations Menu from September 2025. The project then aims to continue with a gradual expansion to other primary schools over the course of three years. After which, the development of a secondary school menu and publication of the Future Gen Menu, alongside the crop plan, will be distributed for wider use. The aim is to share knowledge and tools widely across Wales to different local authorities to encourage continued collaboration between local authority procurement and local Welsh growers.

Conclusion

The Future Gen Menu project is a powerful example of how sustainability, education, and local economic development can be integrated into public sector food provision. With strong early outcomes and a clear roadmap for expansion, it offers a replicable model for other regions in Wales and beyond. The project’s success lies not only in its innovative approach but also in its ability to foster collaboration, shift cultural norms, and deliver tangible benefits to the foundational economy.

Backing Local Firms Fund: Future Generations Menu Read More »

A group of school children holding up badges

Backing Local Firms Fund – Building Skills for Life with the Food Hour

“Food Hour has been such a success at the school. We’re usually dragging parents in from the playground to join our courses… this was fully booked within an hour of being advertised, and they all turned up! The children and teachers loved getting involved.”
— Claire Crockford, Deputy Head, Trelai Primary School

Introduction

The Food Hour project, funded through the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, is a hands-on educational initiative designed to build lifelong food skills and increase food confidence among children and families. Designed in alignment with the new Welsh curriculum, the project integrates cooking, growing, nutrition, and sustainability into everyday learning, nurturing a new generation of informed, confident food citizens.

Building on the success of the nationally recognised Food & Fun programme, Food Hour is the latest innovation delivered in collaboration with Food Sense Wales, Public Health Nutrition and Dietetic Services at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and the education catering team at Cardiff Council, made possible by the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy team.

Background: Building on proven success

The Food & Fun pilot began in 2015 as a response to concerns around food insecurity and holiday hunger. Designed to provide nutritious meals, physical activity, and food education during school holidays, the pilot was a major success and has since been adopted as a national programme across Wales.

Inspired by that model, Food Hour was developed to embed food education into the school day, equipping children with the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm to engage with food in healthy, sustainable ways. Additionally, the Food Hour initiative sought to encourage more students to take advantage of the Wales Free School Meal program.

The food hour approach

The Food Hour is a daily, curriculum-aligned programme delivered in primary schools, centred around four core themes:

  1. Nutrition Education
  2. Practical Cooking
  3. Growing Food
  4. Sustainability

Through these themes, pupils explore where their food comes from, how to prepare it, and how to make informed choices, both for their health and the planet. The sessions focus on real-life, practical learning, including:

  • Cooking and budgeting skills
  • Seasonal and local food awareness
  • Growing fruit and vegetables
  • Sustainable food systems

To support whole-community engagement, the project also includes:

  • Staff training for school and catering teams
  • Family engagement sessions such as “cook and create” events
  • Take-home recipe kits and training opportunities for parents to build a home-school food connection

Early outcomes and impact

The pilot phase has reached 210 Year 5 pupils across six primary schools, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers, pupils, and families and a self-reported increase in the uptake of free school meals due to taking part in the Food Hour.

A group of children sat around a table learning how to chop up vegetables and prepare food for a meal

Feedback Highlights:

  • 97.5% of pupils enjoyed the Food Hour sessions
  • 90% learned something new
  • 100% participated in healthy eating activities
  • 94% enjoyed the recipes they cooked
  • 95% reported learning about sustainability

“Brilliant parent bonding experience! Even my child with food aversions enjoyed making the food—even if he didn’t eat it.”
— Parent from a Cook & Create session

“I was nervous about how my Year 5s would behave, but they all loved it and were really engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed myself too!”
— Year 5 Teacher, Hywel Dda Primary School

Evaluation

Challenges and learnings

Like many school-based pilot projects, timing proved a key challenge. The project began gaining momentum just as the summer term ended, requiring the team to consult, develop, and deliver simultaneously.

Despite this, the pilot demonstrated the concept’s potential and produced a robust set of resources that are ready to be rolled out or picked up at a later date if immediate funding isn’t secured.

The Backing Local Firms Fund was pivotal in making this pilot possible, providing the funding and capacity required to bring the concept to life in real-world settings.

Looking Ahead: From Pilot to Programme

Following the path of Food & Fun, partners hope to see Food Hour evolve from pilot to national programme, with a broader rollout across primary schools in Wales.

Discussions are already underway about:

  • Adapting content for younger and older primary age groups
  • Scaling delivery across more schools and regions
  • Evaluating impact on Free School Meal uptake and long-term behaviour change

While continued funding will be essential for this next stage, the tools, partnerships, and enthusiasm are already in place to take Food Hour forward.

Conclusion

The Food Hour project is more than just a series of school activities, it’s a foundation for long-term change. By equipping children with the skills to cook, grow, and think critically about food, it lays the groundwork for a healthier, more food-literate generation.

Backed by the Backing Local Firms Fund, this project shows how education, health, and the foundational economy can come together to create a stronger, more resilient Wales—one Food Hour at a time.

Backing Local Firms Fund – Building Skills for Life with the Food Hour Read More »

a group of children preparing and eating food

Backing Local Firms Fund: Empowering Kids and Families through the Cookalong Clwb

In partnership with Size of Wales, the initiative also tackles climate change by working with students to design deforestation-free, locally sourced menus for Monmouthshire schools. Through a combination of online and in-person lessons, the project is helping children develop lifelong skills around food, cooking, and sustainability.

Project goals

The Cookalong Clwb aims to:

  • Teach children essential cooking and budgeting skills.
  • Increase knowledge of healthy, locally sourced foods.
  • Empower children to make informed food choices and reduce food waste.
  • Raise awareness of climate change and the importance of sustainable sourcing.

“If children leave primary school knowing how to cook, budget, and make healthier food choices, they are set up for life. They’ll know how to feed their families, and they’ll have the confidence to make better decisions about food, whether it’s cooking or shopping.” – Angharad Underwood, the Cookalong Clwb

The project also works with disabled teams, teaching them how to shop and cook independently, promoting autonomy and self-reliance.

Impact and outcomes

The Cookalong Clwb has already made significant strides in fostering positive, long-lasting changes in children’s lives. Through both online and in-person sessions, the program has cultivated:

  • Kitchen Confidence: Children have learned to chop, cook, and manage the kitchen with sharp knives and hot pans, giving them practical skills that will last a lifetime.
  • Waste Reduction: Kids are now mindful of food waste, with tips like reviving lettuce stalks or broccoli stems by placing them in water for ten minutes.
  • Family Engagement: Children share their newfound skills with family members, subtly shifting family dynamics and sparking discussions about healthier cooking and reducing food waste.
  • Sustainability Advocacy: The collaboration with Size of Wales has inspired children to advocate for sustainable, deforestation-free school meals, with the Monmouthshire County Council committing to becoming the world’s first deforestation-free county.

Additionally, the project has inspired some children to pursue vocational qualifications, opening doors to careers they hadn’t previously considered.

Realisations and insights

While initially focused on food poverty, the project uncovered that socioeconomic status doesn’t necessarily correlate with cooking skills. As one participant reflects:

“The wealthier you are, the more likely you are to buy ready-made meals. The less wealthy, rely on food banks and ultra-processed foods. What we realised is that kids of all backgrounds are lacking kitchen skills.”– Angharad Underwood, the Cookalong Clwb

Another key realisation is the widespread fear around cooking and food preparation, often due to a lack of exposure or confidence. The project is working to break these barriers, especially when it comes to managing the kitchen environment and understanding food’s real value.

Challenges faced

The main challenge has been securing consistent funding to ensure long-term sustainability. Without reliable resources, expanding the project into more schools and reaching a larger audience remains a significant hurdle. As emphasised:
“You can’t charge for this. Schools don’t have budgets, and we need the funding to continue delivering these lessons.”

Future plans and vision

Looking ahead, the project plans to:

  • Expand: Reach more schools across Monmouthshire and Wales, providing cooking lessons to a broader audience.
  • Teacher Training: Equip teachers with the tools and confidence to deliver cooking lessons within the curriculum.
  • Community Kitchens: Explore the creation of community kitchens where families can gather, cook together, and share meals.
  • Sustainability Focus: Continue advocating for deforestation-free, sustainable school menus and sourcing locally and ethically grown produce.

Backing Local Firms Fund: Empowering Kids and Families through the Cookalong Clwb Read More »

Castell Howell Foods – Supply chain 

As an indigenous Welsh food company, Castell Howell is very much at the centre of this foundational economy.  

Serving both private and public sector hospitality and food service providers in Wales and beyond, the company recognises its responsibility to be agents for change, working towards the goals of the Economic Action Plan. 

‘Optimising the Welsh food system necessitates a focus on onshoring production for enhanced social value and nutritional content. This entails aligning menus with seasonal harvests, improving yield and supply chain data, and extending produce shelf life. Collaborative efforts will foster a more resilient system that empowers our farmers, delivers nutritious meals to the public sector, and minimises risk. While cost and efficiency challenges exist, a pragmatic approach focused on long-term objectives can yield significant benefits. Transparent procurement practices that prioritise not just price point, but also social value, environmental impact, and community engagement are essential.’

Edward Morgan – Group Corporate Social Responsibility & Training Manager, Castell Howell Foods.

This case study highlights four independent yet interlinked projects that demonstrate how the supply chain can collaborate to instigate change that leaves a social, environmental and economic legacy within the foundational economy and beyond. 

1. Locally grown veg to Cardiff food and fun – ‘The Courgette pilot’ 

In the summer of 2022 Castell Howell (CHF) collaborated with growers Blas Gwent, Food Sense Wales and Cardiff Council to deliver locally-grown vegetables to the Welsh Government funded and WLGA managed Summer Food and Fun programme.  

A series of images of children cooking in a school setting with vegetables.

Courgettes grown near Cardiff were delivered to 22 local schools, and CHF’s development chef worked with the Council’s nutritional team to create dishes that were nutritionally balanced, palatable, and attractive to the children. The summer programme included activities such as cooking demonstrations and vegetable art. 

Food Sense Wales published a report highlighting the efficacy of the pilot and how the inclusion of locally-grown vegetables in school meals can reduce environmental impacts and benefit both the grower and the children.  

Image from Food Sense Wales Report – Courgette Pilot 

Follow this link to find out more.

The Courgette Project – Phase 2 

Phase 2 extended beyond Cardiff Council to Monmouthshire and Carmarthenshire, and included three small-scale vegetable growers: Blas Gwent (Wentloog), Langtons Farm (Crickhowell), and Bonvilston Edge (Bonvilston). Their vegetables were used for the Summer Food & Fun project by all three local authorities, with a longer-term project in Monmouthshire extending to their autumn and winter menus. To ensure that food safety was maintained, Tyfu Cymru/Farming Connect delivered safety and process training. 

Several people stand in a large greenhouse with tall plants around them.

Managing the supply chain 

Yield forecasts, menus and harvesting all had to be aligned, and allow for flexibility for seasonal variations. Authentic Foods (Hirwaun) were contracted to grow vegetables to be harvested, prepared, and, after a programme of new product development work, included in kitchen-prepared, multi-portion meals to the public sector. Dialogues with local authority catering teams on nutritional compliance, acceptability, palatability, pricing and the practicality of using school kitchens were essential to the project’s success, and in May 2023 the partners met at Langtons Farm, where a commitment was made to plant 1,000 cauliflowers to harvest in early 2024, for use in school-compliant multi-portion meals from March 2024 onwards. 

Lab results for the micronutrients for the meals developed at Authentic were of particular interest. Except for the standard Welsh Tom Pizza sauce, the results seem in line with expectations. Particularly good to see the addition of the Welsh grown spinach and chard boosting the iron and zinc values of the Cauli Cheese meal. It’s not clear what portion size a primary school child would eat, however it is hoped that the 20% added would exceed the 3g of these micronutrients that is a general baseline. 

The Welsh Beef Bolognaise (with the added spinach/chard base) seems to perform well too. 

Provided that the children are ok with 20% added Cauliflower Cheese meal (not too green looking etc), this could be great news for our cohort of growers, helping us to narrow down what can be grown well and profitably  in Wales for a target customer i.e. schools. 

    Welsh Tom Pizza Topping With 10% Spinach With 20% Spinach With 10% Chard Knorr Tom Basil Sauce Maggi (Nestle) Rich & Rustic Tin Chopp/Plum Toms Welsh Beef and Welsh Bolognese Welsh Cauli Cheese With 10% mixed leaves With 20% mixed leaves With 10% spinach 
Energy KJ/100g 168 155 161 150 213 257 80 354 359 337 329 337 
Protein g/100g 1.8 1.8 2.1 1.8 1.2 1.4 1.1 5.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.4 
Fat g/100g 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 1.1 2.8 0.1 4.6 5.3 4.9 4.5 4.8 
Sugars g/100g 5.2 4.5 4.4 4 6.9 5.7 3.8 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.3 2.3 
Fibre g/100g 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.7 0.7 1.1 0.8 2.8 1.6 2 2.33 1.7 
Sodium mg/100g 204 202 183 169 n/a n/a n/a 292 220 213 231 198 
Zinc mg/100g <2.00 2.23 3.37 3.78 n/a n/a n/a 11.6 5.56 8.65 11.3 5.62 
Iron mg/100g 7.17 5.41 6.22 6.13 n/a n/a n/a 7.84 1.81 3.54 5.53 2.74 

2. Gower grown veg, field to fork  

In collaboration with Swansea Local Authority, Bishopston Secondary school and 4theRegion, Castell Howell developed a pilot local supply chain for vegetables grown in Gower to feature on the menu at Bishopston school. The school held a fortnight of food-based activities in lessons, a school visit to the growers, and helped with the development of meals that featured on a Gower Grown school menu. 

This project helped raise awareness of nutrition, environmental impact, financial fairness across the supply chain and local food resilience.  

A group of school children stand around a beehive with a beekeeper.

Watch the video: From Gower Fields to Local Forks | Taster Day 

3. Sustainable supply chains, and ‘Scope 3’ on menus 

Food miles and Scope 3 supply chain emissions are inextricably linked. Working with hospitality providers to decide on menu options, and then with suppliers, can reduce the total environmental impact of the products. 

An example of the circular economy in action was demonstrated by the collaboration between Celtic Pride, CHF’s premium Welsh beef supplier run by the Rees family from Bryn Farm, in Pendoylan, Vale of Glamorgan, and NFU Energy. Bryn Farm received biosolids from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, a by-product that is a rich source of nutrients and allowed the farm to reduce the need for synthetic fertilisers, which is one of the biggest challenges faced by the agricultural sector. 

Communicating the positive benefits to stakeholders 

CHF promotes the environmental and social benefits of a sustainable supply chain to stakeholders through positive messaging on menus, supported by further information accessed via QR codes. 

A sustainably sourced menu for a farming conference 

In collaboration with Cardiff Catering, CHF developed a sustainably sourced menu for the 2022 Nuffield Conference banquet. The key suppliers adopted a range of environmental objectives, including a Farm Carbon Audit with the beef farmer, net-zero potatoes, Gower-grown vegetables and cheese from regenerative farms. This film shows how the menu was created with sustainability at its heart and showcases the sustainability journey of the food producers, as well as highlighting how this was communicated to the diners. 

4. Digestibility and nutrient density project 

There is a growing acceptance of the health risks posed by ultra-processed foods. CHF partnered with Aberystwyth University on a Welsh Government funded project to develop prepared meals for NHS Wales that demonstrate that nutritional, environmental, social and commercial goals need not be mutually exclusive.  

The outcomes were achieved with a range of multi-portion meals following a new and innovative product development pipeline, which included measuring the true nutritional quality of the new meals, via amino acid compositional analysis and in-vitro gastrointestinal protein digestibility scores. Protein derived from UK grown pulses was successfully substituted for red meat, ensuring that the meals still met the required nutritional standards.  

The project found that a range of flexitarian or “hybrid” meals, based on well-established and recognised meals but substituting plant-based protein sources for meat wherever possible, were the most viable in meeting the requirements. Where meat was used this was predominantly pasture-grazed Welsh beef aligned with Hybu Cig Cymru’s ‘Welsh Way’ vision of lower carbon protein derived from Welsh livestock. However the increasing price of meat since the start of the project underlined the important commercial aspects of “hybrid” foods that contain an element of Welsh meat alongside UK grown pulses. 

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‘I cannot overstate the importance of these projects, in terms of developing the supply chain, generating product development and providing more Welsh products to Welsh schools.’

Edward Morgan – Group Corporate Social Responsibility & Training Manager, Castell Howell Foods 

  

We at Cynnal Cymru are excited to keep you informed about the progress of this work. 

Castell Howell Foods – Supply chain  Read More »

A person stands with a bag full of vegetables among crates of carrots and other vegetables.

Foundational Economy Capability Networks: Velindre University NHS Trust

Velindre University NHS Trust 

Enabling a FutureGen-ready food system  

The link between healthy food and patient recovery may seem an obvious one, but in 2023 staff at Velindre University NHS Trust (Velindre) set out to explore this relationship in more detail – and to find ways to maximise the benefits that a healthy food system can bring to patients, hospital staff and beyond. Chris Moreton, Deputy Director for Finance at Velindre, explains more. 

The Challenge:  

The current food system in Wales is facing multiple challenges that affect everyone. These include climate change, nature loss, a declining rural economy and food security. 

Agriculture in Wales is currently responsible for about 14% of Wales’s greenhouse gas emissions, whilst the move towards more intensive farming processes, to accommodate changing diets and consumer demand, reduces land fertility, contributes to negative impacts on surrounding air and waterways and is a key driver of biodiversity loss.  

Years of intensification in agriculture have left rural communities poorer and less stable, negatively impacting the well-being of farming communities. In addition, an over-reliance on an increasingly fragile global food system has contributed to rising food prices, food poverty and inequality.  

This in itself has knock-on effects for the NHS, but Wales is also seeing an increase in diet-related disease, exacerbated by a lack of affordable, accessible, fresh produce being eaten in the home and workplace. These diseases include Type II diabetes, cancers, cardiac and vascular diseases, strokes, and joint problems. 

The Opportunity:  

The Welsh public sector spends £97m on food for schools, hospitals, and social care, with Velindre’s annual food budget alone standing at c.£22 million. 

Chris believes that the NHS in Wales has the opportunity to lead the promotion of environmentally and socially responsible public sector food sourcing. By supplying local, good quality and sustainably-produced food, it can improve the health and well-being of patients, staff, and their families, as well as reducing ecological harm and supporting a fairer and more resilient Welsh food sector.  

This mission aligns with the goals of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, the Welsh Government’s ‘Buying Food Fit for the Future’ initiative, Velindre’s duty of actioning Socially Responsible Public Procurement, and contributes towards the ambition of reaching Net Zero by 2030.  

These mutually-reinforcing ambitions are contained in the project’s objectives: 

  1. Increased access to healthy and affordable food will lead to better health outcomes. 
  1. The food supply chain will be shorter, more resilient, and will have minimal environmental impact while providing value for money. 
  1. The Trust will have more spaces where people can learn about and enjoy food. 
  1. There will be a reduction in food waste and the ecological footprint. 
  1. Partnerships will lead to the development of vibrant local food economies and communities. 

Velindre aims to make food a well-being priority for its patients and staff through increasing access to healthy food options at a reasonable price both inside and outside of work. This includes the introduction of “Well-being Wednesdays” and a veg box scheme – which proved successful during the pandemic – to promote healthy eating habits.  

Menu redesign will be evaluated, starting with the restaurant at Velindre Cancer Centre, to explore opportunities to integrate seasonal and organic ingredients, using tools such as meat reduction and use of non-branded projects to help maximise budgets.  

By working directly with suppliers, the project aims to ensure that ethical sourcing and fair-trade options will also be explored where Welsh produce is not available. Skills, training and education will be a key pillar in the project both in terms of roles linked to food – from cooks to procurement – to broader staff engagement to help staff make informed decisions about food in work and wider life. 

Beyond that, by providing visible leadership through its food mission, Chris hopes that Velindre can lead by example across the public sector in Wales to help drive regional collaboration and alignment around food sourcing, promoting agroecological food production and unlocking opportunities for innovation. 

A person stands with a large bag among crates full of carrots and other vegetables. A board on the back reads Greengrocer.

Next steps:  

The project has been developed with the support of Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund that supports the development of key foundational sectors such as food.  

Staff buy-in for this project is already high, with staff workshops indicating near-unanimous support for the food mission. This provides a key resource for consistent messaging around the benefits of the proposed changes.  

Chris explains that “Clear, consistent messaging and collaboration with suppliers, producers and partners such as Cwm Taf Morgannwg’s Central Processing Unit will be critical to creating the conditions that allow people to commit to change.”  

An Action Plan is currently being developed to help operationalise the project’s goals and embed them into Velindre’s operations. Whilst some performance indicators exist and can easily be measured, such as percentages of food coming from local suppliers, food waste reduction, staff accessing veg boxes and average days for patient recovery, others will need development, including a Patient Reported Outcome Measure for food and the Social Return on Investment for the local food economy. 

Chris believes that this whole-system approach is necessary both to tackle the challenges within the current food system and to demonstrate the full range of benefits that can be delivered by values-based healthcare. We look forward to reporting more as the project progresses. 

Foundational Economy Capability Networks: Velindre University NHS Trust Read More »

Foundational Economy Capability Networks: Can Cook

Can Cook 

Well Fed – MealLockers / Plastic-free and Net Zero Programme 

 “We all want a food system that wants to feed children and people good food. Ultra-processed-free has everything to do with people’s health, we match the price and impove the quality.” – Robbie Davison, Director of Can Cook. 

Can Cook, a social enterprise, is tackling food poverty and unhealthy eating habits in Wales by providing fresh, nutritious cooked from scratch meals at affordable prices. Their “Well Fed” programme includes initiatives like Cook-at-Home meal boxes, mobile shops, and Meals on Wheels.  

With support from Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, a recent focus has been to develop and improve 3 new aspects of delivery: plastic-free vending machines (eatTAINABLE) ‘MealLockers’  and a Net Zero emissions-reduction programme with solar energy integration. 

The Challenge 

One of Wales’s key public health challenges concerns food poverty and rising childhood obesity rates. 1 in 4 children born in 2022 will be obese by age 5 in Wales and over 50% of the UK population cannot afford a shop based on fresh produce. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are prevalent in the average weekly shop and also dominate school meals.  

Robbie explains that the project came about after identifying that, despite meeting nutritional standards, the majority of food eaten by children at school is ultra-processed. “If ultra-processed foods help schools meet nutritional standards, then we are in the wrong place.” he concludes. “Our primary concern is feeding children well. We are looking at everything in the supply chain to eliminate UPFs and preliminary the big issue in cooking at scale is the stocks, gravies and sauces” 

Having identified the main ingredient to change in their meals – stock – the Can Cook team went about developing a UPF-free alternative. The solution is a stock made from mushrooms, sourced from a local farm, that can be cooked at scale, stays within budget, and with the same taste and properties as commercial alternatives.  

This demonstrated to the team that the elimination of UPF ingredients is possible. All the meals provided by Can Cook are now UPF-free and the project helps others avoid these in their wider diet also by teaching people how to cook from scratch. 

Another challenge concerning the Can Cook team is that isolated communities often lack access to fresh, nutritious food options. Traditional catering methods can be impractical for these areas.  

Can Cook’s solution includes an initiative to dispense fresh, healthy pre-prepared meals to isolated communities through MealLockers located in public spaces. They are also developing a plastic-free vending approach dispensing meals in returnable, microwavable stainless-steel containers – an innovation targeting workspaces and is convenient and accessible to customers, whilst also reducing waste and energy in reheating.  

To help reduce thier own carbon footprint, Can Cook is moving their production kitchen towards Net Zero through the installation of solar panels by June 2024 to reduce reliance on non-renewable electricity by 60%. 

Looking forward 

For the future, Robbie notes that continued efforts are needed to identify reliable suppliers of UPF-free ingredients for large-scale production. He also believes the MealLockers model has huge potential to expand to efficiently deliver healthy meals to more locations, including schools, hospitals and rural areas, which public sector commissioning could support. He explains: 

“To truly benefit public health, it is vital that public sector commissioning moves towards encouraging and protecting quality and social value. We believe that a social food model for public sector contracts is needed now, to make sure everyone can eat well, regardless of income.” 

The Can Cook team believe there is huge potential for initiatives like these to make a significant contribution to public health in Wales and further afield. We at Cynnal Cymru are excited to keep you informed about the progress of this work. 

Robbie Davison – Director of Can Cook 

Foundational Economy Capability Networks: Can Cook Read More »

Grow your Own – The Hywel Dda approach to building local skills and well-being

In 2019 Hywel Dda University Health Board took a bold step to start an Apprenticeship Academy. This was partly in response to the increasing financial costs of using agency staff to make up for the shortfall in employed Adult General Nurses. It was also, however, in recognition of the opportunity that the University Health Board had, as an anchor institution, to improve opportunities and well-being in its local area.

Recruitment had been a long-standing problem. There is no nursing college in the local area and those that have studied elsewhere, and begun to make lives for themselves, often prefer to find work in the same place. Recruitment from within local communities has therefore been a challenge, as even those students originating from the UHB area may not always choose to return once qualified. The UHB was also conscious that recruitment practices that simply attracted staff from other health board areas would just create problems elsewhere. A programme that could nurture and develop skills amongst the existing local population was seen as a more pragmatic, sustainable approach and one that would fit with the UHB’s values. The Apprenticeship Academy was therefore born.

The initial apprenticeship programme included two pathways: Healthcare and Patient Experience. This has already expanded to include many other pathways including areas as diverse as Engineering and Corporate Governance. The Healthcare Apprentice Programme, however, which can develop individuals from entry level to Nurse registration within seven years, remains its flagship. Its aim is to develop a future nursing workforce through targeted skills development, working with local employment organisations, educational institutions and youth organisations to promote and tailor apprenticeship opportunities. 

The establishment of the Academy has, of course, faced challenges, not least in the unprecedented number of applications and onboarding of apprentices. In 2021 alone there were over 600 applicants, with only 40 places on offer. The high standard of applicants, however, did provide the UHB with confidence to increase the places on offer to 57.

A secondary challenge was integrating the apprenticeship programme within the culture and working practices of a large, established workforce. To help navigate this, a ‘Reverse Mentoring’ scheme was put in place that has allowed apprentices to share their experiences and ideas through providing mentoring and guidance to members of the Health Board. Apprentices were also invited, with the Board’s support, to present at the 2021 Nursing and Midwifery conference, in recognition of their achievements. This gave members of the apprenticeship programme another opportunity to share learning first hand with those that might also find themselves working with apprentices, or even be thinking of starting programmes themselves.

One example of the value that this programme has brought was highlighted when the Academy Team was able to offer additional support to the Directors responsible for the staffing and implementation of Mass Vaccination Centres throughout the Health Board area.  Andrew Cavill (Job title) explains that the 2021 apprentices “have stepped up and stepped forward to support the vaccination effort, undertaking additional training to offer immunisation and administrative support to patients across all counties”.

The programme has also contributed to wider and longer-term benefits. The Academy has a principle of not taking on an apprentice unless there is a job available for that person at the end of the apprenticeship programme. This has encouraged services to look at their future staffing needs and start to plan early for how these can be met. On this basis, 100 apprentices have already been taken on with a pledge to deliver 1,000 apprenticeships by 2030 – an ambition that will not only grow local job opportunities but help to provide better health care, training, skills and well-being in the local foundational economy.

Grow your Own – The Hywel Dda approach to building local skills and well-being Read More »

Bocs Bwyd – an inclusive career pathway in the Vale of Glamorgan

Bocs Bwyd is a catering enterprise, run by Ysgol Y Deri in collaboration with the construction industry. Funded by the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy Challenge Fund, it provides a vocational learning environment for learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), enabling Ysgol Y Deri to develop the Bocs Bwyd Traineeship. The project aims to develop skills, confidence and demonstrate the ability of young people with special needs, helping them develop independence and enter the workforce, from which they are often excluded.

Ysgol Y Deri is the special education school for the Vale of Glamorgan, working with students aged 3-19 across a full spectrum of conditions including higher functioning autism, emotional, behavioural and mental health issues and profound multiple learning difficulties.

The school focusses on catering as a vocational pathway to learners aged 14-19 who have the potential to be economically active. Replicating the work environment, the school has a professional spec training kitchen and on-site barista style coffee shop. Many students leave with industry recognised qualifications in Food Hygiene and Entry Level and Level 1 catering and employability qualifications including BTEC. The school also provides work experience opportunities in catering settings such as Costa and Farmhouse Inns.

However, despite vocational experience and qualifications, many students struggle to meet the entry requirements to access catering courses at college due to their academic abilities. There are also few opportunities for them to receive in-work support from potential employers so that they can engage in the career pathways that Ysgol Y Deri has prepared them for. Thus, despite gaining the competencies to engage in work, many students leave without the prospect of finding real jobs.

In order to address this difficult situation, Ysgol Y Deri applied to Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy Challenge Fund and received funding for their Bocs Bwyd project.

Bocs Bwyd is a catering kitchen, launched in 2019, servicing two new school build sites in Barry, both of which are part of the Vale of Glamorgan’s 21st Century Schools programme. Other than a catering manager, the kitchen is wholly staffed by Ysgol Y Deri pupils and their support staff.

With the support of the construction companies Morgan Sindall and Bouygues UK, the physical kitchen was assembled; Morgan Sindall providing the shipping container and Bouygues relocating it at an agreed handover time. Challenge Fund monies were used to support additional staff.

After a delay due to COVID, Bocs Bwyd started service on site in September 2020, in line with Welsh Government’s and Ysgol Y Deri’s COVID secure working. The kitchen is divided into four work stations, allowing pupils to develop skills from service through to prep and wash up, with a focus on quality, value and nutrition.

Bocs Bwyd was something new and innovative for Ysgol Y Deri; a sustainable catering enterprise run by, but with its own separate identity from, the school. This allowed Ysgol Y Deri to create an authentic work environment for learners, who were supported and valued as co-workers, rather than students. In this vein, it was also important for the Bocs Bwyd team that Bocs Bwyd was seen as just a café, rather than a ‘special needs café’. 

Bocs Bwyd has enabled Ysgol Y Deri to address the issue that many pupils cannot access college or employment after leaving them in ways that they could not previously. Areas of focus were developing The Bocs Bwyd Traineeship and to help pupils and their families believe in their ability to enter the workforce. 

The Bocs Bwyd Traineeship combines Essential Skills Qualifications in Literacy and Numeracy linked to Catering and Employability Awards at Entry Level / Level 1 leading to a Certificate size award overall plus City and Guilds Food Hygiene Level 1 or 2. The Traineeship also includes a guaranteed 120 hours minimum work placement at Bocs Bwyd.

Bocs Bwyd has been key in the school developing the traineeship – it not only allows the school to provide a guaranteed work placement, it also allows them to tailor the placement to ensure learners get to experience all aspects of catering and provides additional support where needed. This is a step change to the work experience that Ysgol Y Deri has historically been able to provide to students.

Another benefit of the traineeship is that it prepares and qualifies students for work in catering at a higher level than Ysgol Y Deri has been able to offer previously. Usually, young people working at Entry Level cannot access Foundation Apprenticeships with its  5 GCSE entry requirement . However, the Bocs Bwyd Traineeship provides a unique way to achieve similar vocational qualifications for young people but working at Entry Level, something Ysgol Y Deri has not been able to offer as a package before. 8 learners have now completed the Traineeship. Charlie, a trainee at Bocs Bwyd has been accepted onto a catering course at Bridgend College starting September 2021 while others have also been able to secure places on specialist courses at Level 1 in industry sectors other than  Catering. All have developed a belief in a pathway into paid work which previously  they thought impossible.

The authentic work environment of Bocs Bwyd allowed pupils to develop and showcase their talents out in the world to paying customers. This, and the supported employment model (where learners are supported and valued as co-workers, rather than students) provided a space where pupils could develop their self-belief and confidence in entering the workforce. This was bolstered by Job Coaching, including Person Centred Planning creating a vocational profile and pathways into work.

The project’s success in this area can be seen in the views of pupils, parents and carers.   

“Working in Bocs Bwyd, has increased my confidence when participating in a work environment and improved my interpersonal skills.” Sam, Bocs Bwyd trainee.

All carers and parents strongly agreed that their child became more confident as a result of participating in Bocs Bwyd and agreed or strongly agreed that their child is more hopeful about their future and is positive about getting paid work. Parents and carers also agreed or strongly agreed that they too were more hopeful about their child’s future and more confident of them getting paid work.

Notwithstanding the successes of the project, its innovative nature means some challenges remain unresolved and require more work into the future.

Some of these are governance and constitutional problems around a school running a business. It was important for Bocs Bwyd to be separate from the school for educational reasons outlined above and to create a model whereby Ysgol Y Deri could operate a project such as Bocs Bwyd on a cost recovery basis. However, schools trading is problematic in Wales due to the Welsh schooling system not being academised as in England, where it is easier for schools to convert to being an academy which have less stringent regulations regarding trading. Ysgol Y Deri are supportive of the non-academisation of Welsh schools, however it makes a school running a business quite difficult.

Working with Social Firms Wales, Ysgol Y Deri developed a constitution to run Bocs Bwyd as a Social Firm (enterprise) which functions like a CIC, but instead of being registered at Companies House, is overseen by a constituted committee and governed by robust rules within the school. The long term viability of this solution is yet to be seen as there are questions around liability for the committee which are being addressed by Vale of Glamorgan Council.  If the model does work however, it provides a new vocational education model (which could be used wider than catering) which partly or wholly funds its costs. Currently, the school ‘subsidises’ Bocs Bwyd through back office support and provides teaching staff. However, the team would like to move to costs being covered through grant aid or a service level agreement, with the Social Firm structure allowing Bocs Bwyd to apply for a wider range of grants compared with a school.

Another challenge is the growth and sustainability of the project into the future. The project is running, however project lead Sue Williams recognises that often getting such projects off the ground is done “on a wing and a prayer”, and wants the project to remain functional and to avoid burn out of the project team. For 6 months Bocs Bwyd ran two sites in parallel, straining the team but demonstrating the ability for the project to grow.

Bocs Bwyd are interested in two aspects of their growth; developing a sustainable business model  and the educational impact. Commercially, they wish to become a mainstay of the local construction industry, providing food for construction workers and becoming a material part of the conversation around social values in the sector. Educationally, the team are exploring if they could host self-funded placements and whether they could provide work placements to smaller special schools enabling them to develop their own traineeships or apprenticeships.

Finally, despite the additional skills and qualifications, the route for Bocs Bwyd pupils into work or further education is still not always clear. Sue explains that after leaving Bocs Bwyd, learners will have all the skills they need for the catering industry, the issue being that they require a little extra support in the workplace that the vast majority of employers do not provide. The team are thus exploring partnering with a big public sector organisation, working with them to upskill their ability to support those with special needs and perhaps providing a job coach in return for committing to taking on a certain number of Bocs Bwyd pupils as staff. Bocs Bwyd are also exploring funding a continuation programme for NEETS and eligibility for the DWP Kickstart programme, which pupils are not currently eligible for as they will not have been on Universal Credit when they leave Ysgol Y Deri.

These challenges however do not take away the real positive impact on learners. Sue says she was “blown away by the change in mindset of the young people we had joining us”. A mindset change where work became possible, created in a public facing environment which challenged learners, and in doing so, allowed them to grow.

From September 2021, Ysgol Y Deri are planning to create a designated Bocs Bwyd class with teaching and support staff funded by the school’s core budget. Additional costs from operating the business will be recouped through trading activity.

Projected 12 month trading figures to the end of August 2021 suggest a gross profit on sales – meeting the additional operational costs of running a catering enterprise for Ysgol Y Deri. In collaboration with the private sector, Ysgol Y Deri have created a financially sustainable business providing a unique and holistic vocational learning environment for their pupils .  This in turn has boosted their drive and belief in their ability to work and equipped them with a higher level of skill and qualification than the school has been able to previously.

Bocs Bwyd – an inclusive career pathway in the Vale of Glamorgan Read More »

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