Eighteen local food businesses will receive special awards for putting healthier food on the menu.
The new Healthier Options Award, run by Bath and North East Somerset Council in partnership with NHS Bath and North East Somerset (NHS B&NES), recognises local food businesses who are working hard to offer healthier choices to customers, including dishes and products with reduced salt, fat and sugar.
Council Chairman, Cllr Bryan Chalker, will present the awards at an event at The Guildhall in Bath on Friday January 29.
The winners are:
Tea and Trade, Radstock; Farrington Gurney Farm shop café; Manor Farm residential home, Radstock; Oriel Lodge care home, Swainswick, Bath; Culverhay care home, Bath; Whitehaven care home, Midsomer Norton; Darling Deli, Combe Down, Bath; Norton Radstock College training kitchen; Ecco Chef home catering, Bath; Rose Cottage, Twerton; Wagamamas, Bath; Charlton House care home, Keynsham; Catering Crew, Radstock; George Inn, Bathampton, café @ the centre YMCA Café, Bath,YMCA nursery, Bath; Park Street Residential Home, Bath.
The inaugural awards are part of a pilot scheme aimed at tackling obesity. Recent figures show that diseases related to being overweight or obese cost NHS B&NES £44.1m in 2007. If no action is taken the cost will rise to £45.8 million in 2010 and jump to £49 million in 2015.
By showing that healthy food can be exciting, tasty and value for money, the Healthier Options Awards can encourage more local food businesses to make menu adjustments to provide healthier choices.
Council Chairman Cllr Bryan Chalker said: “I would like to congratulate the 18 winners of the award for their work to offer healthy menu choices to customers. Obesity is a growing concern amongst all age ranges with potentially devastating health consequences so it’s vital that we all work together to ensure that it is as easy as possible for people to make healthy food choices.”
Joint Director of Public Health, Dr Kieran Morgan, added: “Changing attitudes and behaviours can be difficult. As part of this campaign we want to help businesses take the lead so adults and children can live longer, happier lives.
“The really encouraging aspect of this scheme is the wide variety of businesses that participated and the impressive menus served.”
The successful businesses will now be able to display their Healthier Options certificates and will feature on the Healthier Options page of the Bath and North East Somerset Council website.
The businesses involved in the scheme have also been given the opportunity to take part in other initiatives which contribute to the award including Resource Futures to help work towards sustainable energy efficiency and environmental policies.