Sustainable Food Actions
Catering Contracts for Sustainable Food
Through the University’s catering contractor Baxter Storey, the University on 11th July 2023 was certificated against the Bronze standard for the Soil Associations food for life served here for all of the food outlets the University operates.
The majority of menu items available in the University’s restaurants are prepared in-house with high-quality fresh ingredients sourced from the UK only. Were possible the food served in our restaurants will be locally sourced.
The University is committed to continually increasing the sustainability of our food offerings and ensuring that the food and drink the University offers is of high quality, and that the food served has high animal welfare in mind.
With animal welfare in mind, the University restaurants use, 100% free-range eggs, Red Tractor-certified meat and dairy and only MSC-certified fish.
(Licence no: FF28211)
See tender documentation for the sustainability aspects of the University's catering contract.
New Vegan & Vegetarian Café
The University has a new vegan and vegetarian menu at its café located at the Luton campus Centre Canteen.
Going vegan and vegetarian is the single biggest way you can reduce your environmental impact on the planet.
Free Drinking Water Fountains
Across the University of Bedfordshire, there are over fifty mains-fed drinking water fountains. The installation of these free drinking water fountains reduces the number of plastic water bottles bought and consumed on campus and reduces the waste and associated carbon emissions that bottled water creates.
Click on the link below to locate the nearest drinking water fountain and please bring your own cup for refills.
Putteridge Bury Campus allotment growing space for students and staff
Students and staff have open access to a food and herb allotment space at our Putteridge Bury campus. The growing space is located at the rear of the cottage at Putteridge Bury.
Staff - contact Adam at adam.higgin@beds.ac.uk for more information.
Students - contact Natalia at Natalia.Falacinska@beds.ac.uk for more information.
Apple Orchard at our Putteridge Bury Campus
At our Putteridge Bury campus, we have an apple orchard which is part of the original manor house, which dates back to 1910. There are more than twenty apple trees in the orchard, which is located next to the beehives for pollination purposes. The apples from the orchard are used in the Putteridge Bury campus restaurant. Staff and students are welcome to help themselves to fallen apples.
Honey production at Putteridge Bury
The University owns and operates an apiary based at our Putteridge Bury campus. The Beehives are located next to a wildflower meadow and an apple orchard.
The University's apiarists are Martin Thurlow and Adam Higgin, who are both members of the University’s Sustainability Steering Group.
The beehives can produce more than 100 jars of honey each year. The honey is labelled as 'University of Bedfordshire Urban Honey' and sold over the counter at the restaurant.
The income from the honey is held in a ring-fenced account to be re-invested back into beekeeping. To support Martin there is also a University budget for Beekeeping which is currently £250 per year.
