Tayside farmers and food producers will get the opportunity to pitch their wares to a major buyer at a meeting in Forfar next month.
The farmers’ union has organised an event at Forfar Mart with Keith McNamara, the managing director of Tayside Contracts which provides more than five million meals to schools and communities in the Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross areas every year.
The meeting follows criticism of the quality of food being served to children and farmers’ frustration that local produce is not being used as much as they would like.
NFU Scotland (NFUS) regional manager Kate Maitland said: “In an ideal world we’d like to see as much local and Scottish food as possible being used in school meals.
“Obviously Tayside Contracts need guarantees of consistency and volumes of produce, so the meeting will explore what’s possible.
“We’re also working with Fife Council to get more local food in school meals there, and Breadalbane have already used lamb, so the opportunities are there.”
Forfar farmer Matthew Steel from Craignathro Farms is one of the initiative’s key drivers.
He said: “We’re producing some of the best food in the world in Tayside and this meet-the-buyer event will give us the opportunity to see it used locally.
“Unfortunately the days of school meals being produced in on-site kitchens have long gone, which is a shame because that’s partly how children were educated in where their food comes from.
“We’re really keen to see a good turnout from anyone in the food chain who’s interested so that these big companies know we’re serious about supplying them.”
The meeting will take place in Forfar Mart’s Strathmore Hall on Wednesday March 2 from 9-10.30am and is open to all producers who are looking to extend their sales and distribution.
Anyone planning to attend must register in advance with ashleigh.leaver@tayside-contracts.co.uk
Last year, Deputy First Minister John Swinney expressed concern over the quality of frozen school meals that are served to children in Tayside after parents and catering staff criticised their ingredients and appearance.
The lunches are produced in a factory in Dundee before being flash frozen and delivered to schools where they are reheated.