More schools now serving Welsh beef
More schools in Wales than ever before are sourcing Welsh red meat.
The advance was spotlighted when Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) held a second National Beef Day celebration during which local authorities across Wales, including the Vale of Glamorgan Council, staged special events.
Head of Vale Catering Services Rita Hicks joined pupils, staff and governors at Peterston-super-Ely Church in Wales Primary School to enjoy Welsh roast beef and all the trimmings.
Rita said: "It was a pleasure to be involved in this promotion which was enthusiastically welcomed by the children who thoroughly enjoyed and ate all of the lunch, and school staff who contributed to making it a whole school experience."
National Beef Day is a Wales-wide day co-ordinated by HCC and is fully backed by Welsh Assembly Government Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones, farming unions, processors and suppliers.
Ms Jones said: “There has been quite a turn around in local sourcing in recent years and now Welsh beef is widely available in our schools in Wales. Welsh Beef Day has occurred at a very timely moment for the industry and I am delighted to support the day. Sourcing local Welsh beef is good for our children, our environment, our farmers and our economy.
“I warmly welcome the very positive contribution that the Vale Council is making towards our national goal of putting Welsh beef on the school dinner menus of Wales.
“In the past 12 months, I am pleased to see that the local procurement policy of many authorities has clearly moved forward and the Vale council’s record shows it is at the heart of this significant advance."
Gwyn Howells, HCC chief executive, said that HCC has seen a dramatic change in buying policy after four years of persistent campaigning at a local level across Wales.
He said: “Our farmers produce some of the best red meat in the world, often next door to a school. By using Welsh beef, and Welsh lamb, local authorities and health trusts are boosting the economy of Wales, helping rural communities, improving the quality of food served and helping the environment by cutting down on food miles.”
Caption: Head of Vale Catering Services Rita Hicks joined pupils, staff and governors at Peterston-super-Ely Church in Wales Primary School to enjoy Welsh roast beef and all the trimmings.