Keele University, in Staffordshire, has 10,000 students on its campus and has been ranked the UK’s fifth best university by students.
Mark Lawton, commercial director at Harlech Foodservice, said: “The opening of our depot and sales office in Chester means that we’re right on the doorstep for a prestigious university like Keele where we are supplying general food and meat products.
“What helped us clinch the deal was that we can help them reduce their carbon footprint by supplying them with more sustainably-sourced products and by our own efforts to be greener. It’s a contract we have been able to compete for because we are now within range and able to provide prompt deliveries which also helps them reduce their carbon footprint.
“The work we are doing to cut our own carbon use impressed them and convinced them we were a company they could work with and do some work on joint initiatives including carbon offsetting. What definitely helps is that we source so much of our product range from North Wales, Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire which reduces their food miles.”
Harlech Foodservice secured the contract through their membership of TUCO – The University Caterers Organisation – a framework which qualifies businesses to provide catering services for the public sector.
Emma Woodcock, head of business development at Keele University, added: “We're committed to sustainability and to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and part of that commitment is reducing our food miles and Harlech will help us do that while supplying high quality produce.
“Keele was one of the first UK universities to declare a ‘climate emergency’ and over the last six years we've invested over £1.2m into carbon reduction - and will be investing more every year. We're truly sector-leading in environmental education and have world-leading research in environmental sustainability so that for the fourth consecutive year we have been placed among the Top 40 universities in the world for sustainability.”