On a YouTube video he says: “To build a better Britain it has to start with our bellies … especially with the children, bringing good food into the school. They [schools] don’t have big budgets, so we need to look at some of the cheaper cuts and slow-cook them, veg that’s seasonal and local.
“Not only teach them about healthy food, but where it comes from and how to cook it.”
Gareth was reflecting a day after delivering the keynote address to the Public Sector Catering Expo at the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire on November 18th.
He said he was ‘not criticising’ but admitted to being ‘confused’ about why the meat marketing, and milk marketing boards, and the National Farmers Union (NFU) were not at the PSC Expo.
“I’m just thinking how big an opportunity this would be for British agriculture and British produce.”
He said that the many public sector caterers he spoke to at the event were ‘very, very supportive of British agriculture and they want to engage’.
“So we need to step as an industry, as farmers, to find hubs and ways we can all come together to get our food onto the menus of schools, hospitals, prisons, universities, old people’s homes, the army, the navy and the RAF.
“All these people need to eat every day and we are the people that should be producing that food,” he concluded.
Hill farmer Gareth has lived all his life at Tyn Llwyfan Inllanfairfechan, with his family who have farmed the land for over 375 years producing lamb and beef. Gareth is a longstanding advocate for backing British, sustainable and seasonal produce.
He is a best-selling author, TV presenter and a regular contributor on social media. You can see the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObMIgyTuqc