Love British Food Calls on new Government to embrace a community-focused food strategy

With thousands of events celebrating British food happening nationwide during the fortnight, there is no better time to outline a vision for a healthier, more sustainable future.

Love British Food’s Key Wishes for the New Labour Government:

Proposals that can be done now by Ministers within existing budgets:

1. Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Establish cross-departmental cooperation on food policy to ensure cohesive approaches that connect food production with public health, education, and environmental sustainability.
2. Prioritise Community Engagement Over Lobbying: Work closely with organisations, businesses, and community leaders who are actively delivering change on the ground, rather than focusing on lobbying groups.
3. Move Beyond Targets: Instead of simply aiming for a target of 50% British food in the public sector, focus on a scheme that inspires and enables catering teams, food service organisations, and wholesalers to connect food procurement with nutritional outcomes.
4. ‘Buy British’ Initiative: Encourage all food service organisations and wholesalers to feature a ‘Buy British’ category, similar to the supermarkets' ‘Buy British button,’ to promote and prioritise British produce.

Suggestions that will need reallocation of existing budgets:

5. Food Education for All: Ensure that every primary school pupil knows where their food comes from, how to prepare it and that every secondary school pupil understands basic nutrition and the critical role of food in mental and physical health.
6. Clearer Food Labelling: Implement clearer labelling to highlight food provenance and the link between how food is produced and its nutritional value. Consider reallocating funds from existing programs, such as Red Tractor, to support this initiative.
7. Channel Government investment into promoting the benefits of eating seasonal, quality, local British food to the domestic consumer. Currently the majority of investment is geared to promoting British food to the export market.

Possible ambitious new proposals that will need policy amendments and budgets increasing:

8. Free and Healthy School Meals: Provide free, healthy school meals for all children. At the very least, extend free school meals to all children on Universal Credit, and ring-fence the food allowance to ensure it is spent on high-quality, nutritious food.
9. Investment in British Agriculture: Substantially invest in growing more fruits, vegetables, beans, and pulses. Encourage public institutions to incorporate these foods as part of a balanced menu, alongside less but better-quality meat.

Alexia Robinson, Founder of Love British Food, commented:

“British Food Fortnight is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of our national food strategy and what it can achieve. With the Labour Party Conference taking place during the biggest celebration of British food, we urge the new government to focus on community, education, and accessibility.” 

“We believe that by moving beyond simple targets and offering practical support to those working in the public sector, we can make real changes that benefit everyone – from school children learning about food to local farmers supplying nutritious British produce.”

Why Now?

British Food Fortnight, the UK’s biggest annual celebration of British food and farming, is the ideal backdrop for this call to action. It highlights the value of local food production and the need for a food strategy that promotes sustainability, education, and public health.

Love British Food is ready to work with the new government to turn these wishes into actions that will benefit communities across the country. We invite policymakers, businesses, and the public to join us in this mission.