EDEN PROJECT
Becky Fenner, hospitality manager at the Eden Project, said: ‘We are delighted to have come top of the Out to Lunch league table.
‘The Eden Project’s mission centres around building relationships between people and the planet to demonstrate the power of working together for the benefit of all living things.
‘Central to this is our food story.
‘We explore ways to deliver Earth-friendly food at scale using a food system rather than a food product approach, finding ways of producing food in a regenerative system that is climate positive, increases biodiversity and enhances soil health.
‘Healthy planet – healthy people.’
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH
Clare Short, head of commercial Sales at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: ‘This award from the Soil Association highlights the importance of offering visitors a range of healthy and responsibly sourced produce.
‘All the dishes celebrate our made-from-scratch principles, with ingredients harvested from our on-site kitchen garden.
‘The team is committed to providing food that is both delicious and nutritious and it is great to see their dedication reflected in these results. We will continue to enhance and develop the catering we offer at the Garden.’
CHESTER ZOO
Simon Lockhart, head of food and beverage at Chester Zoo, said: ‘We’re pleased to have once again been named as one of the highest ranking attractions in the UK for the range of healthy, sustainable and family-friendly food options we offer at the zoo.
‘As a not-for-profit wildlife charity with a mission to prevent extinction, we’re acutely aware that what we choose to eat not only affects our own health but also the health of our planet.
‘That’s why we proudly prioritise fresh, local and sustainably sourced food.
‘Our policies incorporate sustainably sourced fish, free range eggs, British farmed meat, fresh local fruit and vegetables and healthy choices; while we use our knowledge and expertise to persuade suppliers to provide environmentally friendly products, using the most environmentally friendly ingredients.
‘We also try to encourage visitors to think about how food is grown and produced, and the effect that can have on global biodiversity.
‘We’re always looking to improve where we can and our friends at the Soil Association, who we already work closely with, have been able to provide us with some pointers through the creation of their report. We’ll be exploring those to see where we can do even more in the future.’
SCIENCE MUSEUM
A spokesperson for the Science Museum said it outsources its catering to a third party.
LONDON ZOO
A spokesperson for ZSL London Zoo said: ‘ZSL London Zoo is delighted to have scored so highly in the recent Out to Lunch survey.
‘As London’s zoo, we aim for our Terrace Restaurant and other refreshment outlets to be of the highest standard for our visitors, which were praised by the survey for their ‘family friendliness’ as well as our ‘strong waste reduction policy’, use of ‘local seasonal produce’ and ‘nice balance of different cultural foods.’
‘ZSL works with the Association on the survey, and we’re pleased they have recognised the importance we place on providing a wide range of food options to visitors of all ages when visiting the Zoo – including free water, healthy items like seasonal fruit and salads, plant-based protein options like lentils and beans, alongside freshly prepared indulgent treats such as pizzas and burgers.
‘Free range eggs, sustainable fish and Farm-Assured meat are all used throughout our menus, and our children’s lunch box features a range of healthy options to choose from including carrot sticks, cheese, and fruit – as well as fun treats to enjoy on their day out.’
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
A spokesperson for the Natural History Museum said nobody was available to comment.
WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM
A spokesperson for Fosters Events, which operates the Kitchen, Smokehouse & Pantry at Westonbirt Arboretum, said: ‘We were delighted to be involved in this year’s Out to Lunch survey.
‘The survey acknowledged our commitment to serving high quality, local and responsibly sourced ingredients at Westonbirt Arboretum.
‘We pride ourselves on the diverse range of healthy snacks we provide our guests throughout the Arboretum and were pleased to see the survey recognise that all children’s meals are served with fresh fruit and vegetables.
‘In this, our first year of participation, we are delighted to rank in the top 10 and look forward to improving our offer and position in future years.’
KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM
A spokesperson for Glasgow Council, which runs Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, said: ‘The feedback we received from The Soil Association after taking part in their annual survey this year is positive and shows a significant jump up the UK league table for the Kelvingrove Museum.
‘In the current post-pandemic and cost of living environment it can be challenging at times to cater for varied budgets but we will continue to update our menus seasonally and work with suppliers to provide best value.’
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW
A spokesperson for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: ‘We welcome the results of the survey as a guide to help us continue to improve our catering offering and fulfil our commitments to sustainability for our family visitors.
‘We were pleased to see that Kew Gardens scored strongly and was the only attraction in the league table to score full points for antibiotic and animal feed policy.
‘We welcome the commitments to improving choice as outlined by the SA, and underline the excellent offer at our award-winning Family Kitchen & Shop which features an array of plant-based offerings, allowing visitors the opportunity to enjoy a selection of eco-friendly food.’
WHIPSNADE ZOO
A spokesperson for ZSL Whipsnade Zoo said: ‘ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is grateful for the feedback from the Soil Association’s Out to Lunch survey, but was disappointed that they focused the majority of their review on just one of the many catering outlets at the UK’s largest Zoo.
‘At ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, we offer our visitors a variety of choice, understanding that some visitors want to indulge in a treat as part of their special day.
‘We also ensure that there are healthier alternatives available; in addition to our Basecamp Restaurant – designed for speedy treat meals – visitors can enjoy lunch at the Viewpoint, which offers a mainly plant-based menu and serves freshly made pizzas, salads and pasta dishes.
‘In addition to this, our visitors are also able to bring their own food, which they can enjoy in our covered picnic area, or overlooking the stunning Dunstable Downs.
‘ZSL works with the Association on the survey, and we’re pleased they have recognised the importance we place on providing seasonal and local produce, and British farm-assured meats and sustainably sourced fish.
‘As part of our commitment to environmental objectives, we also place carbon scoring on our sandwiches, which are produced locally with local produce – so visitors can rest assured their lunch has a low carbon footprint – while all our coffee is Rainforest Alliance certified.
‘We will continue to regularly evaluate our drinks and snacks to ensure we offer a balanced range that supports both healthy eating and sustainable environmental objectives.’
GREAT NORTH MUSEUM
Adam Goldwater, manager of the Great North Museum: Hancock, said: ‘We welcome this constructive feedback about our cafe offer from the Soil Association Out to Lunch investigation.
‘We aim to offer a quality, good value, healthy offer for our family audience.
‘We have only recently brought our catering offer in-house and we are in the early stages of developing this offer so we will certainly be taking all of these recommendations onboard.’
NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF
A spokesperson for the National Museum Cardiff declined to comment.
LEGOLAND
A spokesperson for Legoland said: ‘Legoland Windsor and Aramark have been working together since March 2022, with a continued focus on improving food and beverage offers at the resort.
‘Aramark will continue to work with Merlin as the official food and beverage provider, to ensure they are giving guests what they want and what they expect, whilst considering value, nutrition and key health and safety priorities.
‘When surveyed this year, 88 per cent of Legoland visitors stated they are they are satisfied or more than satisfied with the variety of food on offer at Legoland Windsor.
‘Healthy food options are available for families, including a range of fruit, sandwiches, salads, and sugar free beverages.’
WORLD MUSEUM
A spokesperson for the World Museum said they were unable to comment.
ULSTER MUSEUM
Brona Moffett, Head of Experience and Enterprise Development at National Museums NI, said: ‘We take on board and learn from all feedback in relation to the catering services provided within Ulster Museum.
‘Despite this score being partly due to an omission on our part in response to the survey; there is still much we can learn from this experience.
‘Ulster Museum hears from our visitors every week through our own visitor research and we are always encouraged that our overall catering experience at the museum is mostly positive and above benchmark.
‘However we do know we could do better in terms of the variety and appeal of our food offering, especially for children which the Out to Lunch survey focused on, and we will be working closely with our catering partner to reflect and improve on this feedback.’
DRAYTON MANOR
A spokesperson for Drayton Manor Resort said: ‘We always welcome feedback from visitors and industry bodies, which helps Drayton Manor Resort to continually develop and offer the best possible experience for guests.
‘Where possible, we source local British produce from accredited suppliers.
‘We offer child-sized portions in all restaurants, apart from Safari Pizza, where family-style sharing is encouraged, and free water is available at all of our food and beverage outlets upon request.
‘Healthier options are available in many of our outlets across the resort, including in the hotel, where children’s meals accompanied by vegetables are also available.
‘We review and develop our food and beverage offering on an ongoing basis, and look forward to reviewing the Soil Association’s latest study once available, to help further improve our offering across the resort.’
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