Boris Johnson calls for higher food standards in capital's restaurants and hotels ahead of London 2012

06-Oct-2011 - Last updated on 15-Mar-2024 at 15:29 GMT

London 2012 is the ideal starting gun to improve food standards Boris Johnson tells restaurants, hotels and caterers

London mayor Boris Johnson is calling on the capital's restaurants, hotels and caterers to improve food standards ahead of London 2012 to help 'revitalise' the food sector and create a lasting legacy for the industry.

Under the Food Legacy Programme, Johnson wants to see more chefs use seasonal, sustainably-sourced and higher-welfare ingredients on their menus as well as traditional British produce such as Cheddar cheese and more Fairtrade products.

Pressure will also be on chefs, who will serve an estimated 14 million meals during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to adopt healthier cooking methods such as grilling and steaming when preparing dishes.

Benefits

Those behind the programme believe the move will benefit everyone involved, from the hospitality industry, to farmers and consumers during London 2012 and long after as it would stimulate production among local suppliers.

Johnson, who has the support of London Food chair Rosie Boycott, Defra and NHS London, also believes that businesses who sign up to the new standards will still be able to maintain profit margins.

"Catering for the 2012 Games is a mammoth operation and a lot of hard work has gone into raising the standard of the meals that athletes, workers and spectators will consume. We want this to generate a step change in the commercial food sector, providing a boost for our food industry in terms of investment and jobs," he said.

Pledge

A number of restaurants have already signed up to the scheme, including Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, Sushi operator Feng Sushi and the Clerkenwell Kitchen.

Oli Ingham of Wahaca said: "From the moment Wahaca was first conceived, we realised that, like the Mexican markets that inspired us, we wanted to make a positive and lasting impact on people's tastebuds, while minimising the negative impact on our local community and surroundings. We have always seen the benefit of operating as a sustainable business, not just through offering healthy and sustainable food, but also in how our restaurants are built, fitted out and environmentally assessed.

"We're pleased to support the new London's Food Legacy programme and hope that it will encourage more restaurants achieve the vision of creating a healthy and sustainable food legacy from the London 2012 Games."

For more information about the scheme, to get advice or to sign up to the pledge, click here or visit www.foodlegacy.org.

For more information about planning for the Olympics see our Special Feature: Planning for the 2012 Olympics