Across campus, six certified sites serve an estimated 231,591 meals each year. As part of their offering, the university has worked with the city-wide Full of Beans campaign, which aims to promote greater consumption of beans and pulses as part of a healthy and planet-friendly diet in Glasgow.
Holding the bronze certification, the University of Glasgow catering teams ensure that a minimum of 75% of dishes are cooked from scratch from unprocessed ingredients.
Meals are also free from undesirable trans fats, sweeteners and additives. The university uses free range eggs, higher welfare meat and ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources.
A key focus has been on integrating more seasonal ingredients into their menus, helping to reduce carbon emissions associated with long-distance food transport while enhancing the freshness and nutritional value of their offerings. All vehicles used for delivered catering services are now fully electric.
The University of Glasgow is working to minimise food waste through creative, sustainable kitchen practices – such as transforming surplus vegetables into soups and using offcuts of fruit to prepare fresh smoothies.
To ensure transparency and continuous improvement, they have launched their first Sustainable Catering Review – a detailed, annually published report that outlines the university’s progress, achievements, and future goals.
Christie Bone, business services manager at the University of Glasgow, said: “We are thrilled to have received our Food for Life Served Here bronze certification. Over the past year, we have made significant changes to our operation and menus to ensure the food we serve is fresh, nutritious and sustainably sourced.
“This certification recognises the commitment of our team who have embedded sustainable practices across catering. During the process we implemented strategies for reducing food waste, prioritising seasonal and local ingredients, expanding our plant-based and low-emission options and promoting food provenance within our services.
“As one of Glasgow’s leading institutions, we are proud to set an example in sustainable catering that benefits both our University and the Glaswegian community, supports local suppliers and encourages positive change across the public sector.”
The programme helps maximise the power of public sector food as a force for good and has achieved great success within the school meals sector, supporting local authorities to serve 23.5 million FFLSH-certified school meals in Scotland in 2024.
Sarah Duley, head of food at Soil Association Scotland, added: “The catering team at the University of Glasgow have done a fantastic job of connecting with local suppliers and developing their menus in line with the Food for Life Served Here bronze certification. We would like to thank them for all their hard work and for showing what can be achieved in public sector catering.
“We're delighted to see more Higher and Further Education sites achieving the Food for Life Served Here certification. The Food for Life Scotland team can offer support to public sector caterers across Scotland, to follow in the footsteps of the University of Glasgow.”