National Trust Food Policy
1. Vision
The National Trust will help to 'reconnect' the food chain between producers and consumers. We want consumers to both understand the benefits and enjoy preparing and eating food that comes from a known source and is healthy, tasty and enjoyable. At the same time we want to see farmers rewarded for producing quality food whilst protecting and enhancing the countryside.
We want producers and consumers to share our passion in sourcing and selling
food that has integrity based on animal welfare, food safety and environmental
principles.
The National Trust will buy and sell quality food and drink that is good value.
We will aim to source local seasonal produce, which has been produced and prepared
to high standards.
2. How?
The Trust's generic principles for production, catering and retail of food products are founded on 7 core areas.
These are:
- Environmental (land management, resource use, waste minimisation)
- Animal welfare
- Food hygiene and safety
- Food quality and taste
- Labour (conditions)
- Fair trade
- Traceability
Additional desirable attributes for food and the suppliers we work with are:
- Good business practices (accountability etc)
- Marketing (including labelling, packaging, presentation)
- Transportation methods
- Encourage producer Co-operatives where possible
We have a responsibility to ensure that minimum standards are met by our suppliers
and that we are confident food is produced in a safe way and that unnecessary
pollution or environmental damage does not occur. We encourage diversity of supply
of characteristically local produce from around the UK.
Whilst we aim to source food produced in close proximity to where it is processed
and eaten we realise this is not always possible or appropriate. Local food does
not necessarily mean that it is high quality and produced to high standards. For
this reason we are focussing not just on where food came from but also the standards
it has been produced to, so we are confident we are sourcing food that is as sustainable as possible.
|
Rank |
Preferred origin of produce |
National Trust 'aim' for quality produce |
|
1 |
NT tenants' produce from property |
To provide locally distinctive seasonal foods and ingredients produced to very
high environmental and animal welfare standards and with little unnecessary transportation |
|
2 |
NT tenants produce from region |
As above |
|
3 |
Local (regional) produce |
To provide locally distinctive seasonal foods and ingredients with minimal transportation |
|
4 |
UK NT tenants produce |
To source seasonally available foods and ingredients from the wider UK (if they
are unavailable regionally) and that have been produced to very high environmental
and animal welfare standards |
|
5 |
UK produce |
To source seasonally available foods and ingredients from the wider UK (if they
are unavailable regionally) |
|
6 |
European produce |
Produce not otherwise grown in UK e.g. citrus, nuts, rice |
|
7 |
Non-European Produce |
Produce not otherwise grown in Europe e.g. spices, pepper, suger cane |
In order for this guide to mean something practical to staff it forms the backbone of a food sourcing policy which outlines the standards we aspire to for different products. For example, all eggs must be Freedom Food Assured or organic assured (free range) to ensure they are guaranteed free range. It is then desirable if they come from an NT tenant, or within the local area.
3. Mechanisms
In helping build a local food culture we have set ourselves some very demanding tasks and ambitions. In order to be able to achieve this we realise we must be realistic about capacity and timing and will set ourselves intermediate milestone targets. The sorts of 'mechanisms' or 'tools' we will use to make the food policy a reality includes;
- Advice to caterers, farm tenants and suppliers wishing to sell produce to NT,
- Issuing and sharing guidance on our policy and minmum standards,
- Investing in the training and skills of our catering teams,
- Promotion of food and drink products, including the use of branding where appropriate,
- Developing effective communications (internally and externally) to share the food policy and its aspirations, including interpretation at properties,
- Learning. If people do not understand and share our passion and commitment for local food we will have failed. Local food can only ever be successful if consumers demand local, seasonal and quality food products.
