It shows how well-known high street brands like McDonald’s, Wetherspoons and Greggs are sourcing their food.
Although there is no mandatory need to register origin and provenance information on menus, these are important factors when it comes to eating out. The vast majority of the public (86%) want to buy more British food, based on independent surveys commissioned by the NFU over the years.
Food service businesses listed on the guide include Whitbread, Wetherspoons, Compass, Sodexo, McDonalds, Costa, Starbucks, Greggs and Subway
NFU food chain adviser Lorna Hegenbarth said: “As the NFU we would like to see foodservice businesses become more transparent about their sourcing policies and relationships with their supply chains.
“The traceability, credibility and quality of food is such an integral part of any business serving the public with food. The food service (food eaten outside of the home) market is disparate and fragmented, there are over 250,000 food service outlets within the UK which often have complex supply chains. It is clear from these initial findings that some food service businesses like Wetherspoons see value in publishing clear sourcing information, while others do not provide this level of detail to customers. This guide provides an opportunity for those food businesses to shout about what they do.
“We know that the public want to be able to enjoy more safe, traceable and affordable British food produced to some of the highest standards in the world and underpinned by rigorous standards like the Red Tractor. If people know which food outlets source from British farmers and growers then it helps them make an informed choice when they are dining out.”
The guide will be updated as more information becomes available. The NFU is calling for foodservice operators to build more transparent and sustainable supply chains.