The Cardiff Met catering team has retained the maximum three star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).

The SRA’s Food Made Good Standard is the biggest sustainability accreditation for food & beverage businesses, based on a comprehensive audit of performance against key environmental, social and sourcing targets.

Andrew Phelps, head of catering at Cardiff Metropolitan University said:

“We’re proud to have once again received the maximum three star rating from The Sustainable Restaurant Association. This year is our sixth annual submission to the Standard, and in that time we’ve jumped from two stars up to three stars.

“Well done the Cardiff Met catering team and Cardiff Met Sustainability team for all their hard work and commitment towards sustainability in the last few years.”

The Sustainable Restaurant Association commented:

“Congratulations to Cardiff Metropolitan University for earning three stars in our Food Made Good Standard. Their fantastic results clearly show their dedication to transforming their operations to be more considerate of the planet. Cardiff Met first participated in our Food Made Good Standard in 2016, rising from 64% to 88% over the past eight years.”

The SRA said that, among many reasons which had contributed to the achievement, there highlights stood out:

• Cardiff Met supports suppliers in developing sustainability plans using a supplier assessment tool. They are also a member of Electronics Watch, promoting and protecting workers’ rights in global supply chains.
• The catering team is dedicated to healthier meals, reducing salt content by 20% and sugar content by 10% by using fresh herbs and natural alternatives. They also collaborate with plant-based companies like Planted and healthy drinks brands like Flawsome! Drinks, offering free samples and engaging in conversations with staff and students.
• Cardiff Met participated in the Cardiff Council’s Be Mighty Recycle campaign, focusing on food waste reduction. They partnered with Sustainable Growing Future to repurpose food waste into natural dyes using avocado skins, red cabbage and onion peels.

The Food Made Good Standard measures the sustainability of a hospitality business by assessing its performance against the 10 key impact areas of the Food Made Good Sustainability Framework. Taking the Standard allows businesses to measure their performance, showcase areas where they excel and discover where more work is needed. Reaching a score over 70% earns a business the maximum three star award.

Pearl Costello, Sustainable Food Places Coordinator at Food Cardiff added:

“Congratulations to the team at Cardiff Met on achieving such a great score this year and maintaining their well-deserved three star status. As we celebrate Cardiff’s recent Sustainable Food Places Gold award, it’s great to see yet another example of the city’s good food movement being recognised. Cardiff Met is an inspiration to the many other businesses across the city who are working towards a healthy, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable food culture,” she said.