Tony Rimmer, Director of Rostons, believes Cheshire’s farmers will be extremely pleased to hear the positive news, that the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been championed in the Farmers Weekly for purchasing 92% of its food from Britain.
Farmers throughout Cheshire will be positively encouraged to learn that following a major investigation by Farmers Weekly, which uncovered serious failings in the way British hospitals are sourcing food for patients, the Countess of Chester was championed as a leading example.
Statistics showed that NHS Hospital Trusts generally were serving up a postcode lottery for patients as to whether they would get British sourced food at mealtimes. They did discover pockets of excellence where the Trusts are working hard to source home grown food supplies from local producers.
Is its leading editorial on the 31 May 2013, the Farmers Weekly stated;
“we uncovered beacons of excellence, Hospital Trusts that really do care. Trusts such as the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation has swapped travel weary imports for fresh local produce.
The Chester Trust found fresh British food needed less energy to cook and there was less wastage, so its food bill fell. Its food spend is now among the lowest across Britain.
The Trust buys as much fresh food as possible on a daily basis and all its main food items such as fresh meat, bread, dairy products, fruit, vegetables and frozen and chilled items are sourced locally”.
n Trust has been championed in the Farmers Weekly for purchasing 92% of its food from Britain.