local food for hospitals

[saint-spoon]

On the news this morning I was pleased to see that a hospital in Nottingham has is now sourcing it’s meat from small local farms. There appears to be no down side to this arrangement. Firstly the struggling local farms, many of which are far to small to be considered for this scale of venture are sending their produce via a single agent directly to the hospital which not only keeps them afloat but allows them to thrive. Secondly the hospital is reducing it’s food bill by as much as a couple of quid per serving as well as having guaranteed quality from local producers. The planet also benefits as all the produce is local so hundreds of thousands of air miles.
The farms they did show were all free range as well, although this could just be journalistic spin.

[Brakersway]

Good for them!
Once the idea starts to catch on with the big boys, then it will spread, hopefully

[secret squirrel]

Good for them.Lets hope its genuine.
Its about time they rethought food for hospitals. When my dad was in hospital the food was almost inedible and certainly not nutricious, as its not cooked on the premises any more but brought in ready prepared and then reheated.
Long gone are the days when each ward had its own kitchen where the meals were made on site.
Clearly, its rediculous to provide gormet food, but it must be possible to make good meals for next to nothing if the ingredients are sourced properly. I would have thought that locally grown stuff saves on fuel to get it to where you want it to be, but then what is plain as the nose on your face to the public, is not, to those who hold the purse strings.
Eating seasonally would go some way to solving the problem.

Sorry peeps I wount rant any more.
lorna

[jannie]

At last the penny has dropped!!!!!!!! We don't need to buy our food ( or anything else for that matter)from the other side of the world.....

I crave for the way of life we had before large supermarkets rolled into town...... 'grow your own' , cook from scratch from local produce....local manufacturing businesses etc..

IMO everyone who is unemployed should be taught a skill to manufacture things we import and set to work producing them...


Self sufficiency on a large scale really - as an island.....because sooner or later oil is going to run out..

[secret squirrel]

I agree with you totally Jannie. Trouble is that so many dont know how to cook , any more. They dont teach it in many schools and the skill isnt passed down throught the generations. Also, because of the increase in convenience food, millions dont even know what `proper` food tastes like, any more.
Theres no excuse really, with the number of cooking progs on the telly. Some would just prefer to watch soap operas though. No disrespect intended to those who do watch them and enjoy them and are members of this forum. If you didnt care about the way you live you wouldnt be on here.
The main problem is that everything is financially driven and we have less choice in what we buy and how much we pay. Those in more rural areas, have more choice, but other issues present themselves in those cases.
Personally I prefer to know what I am eating and if its local and fresh then so much the better.
You pay more for all the `lovely` preservatives and chemicals which enable you to shop monthly. I would rather pay less for fresh and I dont wish to be told what is good for me and what isnt, because I know already.
lorna

[Stig]

I saw that news report as well - they were talking about a £400m possible saving in cost if the idea were taken up by all hospitals. I'm skeptical about that ,but...

I absolutely agree this should be a "penny-drops" moment, and not just limited to hospitals & food. The untruth of globalisation finally exposed! Bigger is not always better & local economies, cottage industries even, are to be encouraged EVEN IF there is an apparent higher cost. The benefits will be elsewhere, such as less congestion on motorways & roads, rejuvenated rural economies, reduced air travel, cohesive communities, skilled and motivated craftsmen and women, job satisfaction and empowerment etc etc. I'm sure you catch my drift!

[Homemade]

I don't know what the world is coming to - first politicians start behaving like real people and co-operating and now this.
Common Sense has finally been noticed!!!

[saint-spoon]

This was only one report with a silver lining, I wouldn't advise anyone to hold their breath whilst the world sees sense.

[Peppa Pig]

We saw that report as well. It would possibly make a good documantary, following the application and how it turns out for the hospital involved but also the farmers. At last common sense sas prevailed, but we shall see!
(well we probably wont as were not planning on going into hospital in Nottingham anytime soon)