18/08/2010 11:00:00
YHA has joined the Red Tractor scheme which assures that, except for bacon, all of the raw meat used by our hostels to produce meals for guests is 100% British produce.
Initially 23 of our largest hostels have been licensed and accredited by the “Assured Food Standards” who will be auditing them to ensure that we comply with the highest standards of meat sourcing and food production.
On Friday last week, Caroline White, Chief Executive, and David Clarke, Chief Executive of Red Tractor, presented some of those hostel managers with logos that they can now proudly display at their sites.
These hostels are the first to be part of the scheme and YHA expects more hostels will join the scheme in the coming years.
As part of its charitable object YHA encourages greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and so supporting British farmers through the scheme makes tremendous sense. In addition we are sure that our guests and members want to see YHA operating to the highest standards of food safety and hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection and we believe that the scheme is an excellent way of achieving that.
The Red Tractor scheme was set up because shoppers wanted independent reassurance that farmers and growers were meeting standards of good agricultural practice. The Red Tractor logo is the only kite-mark that guarantees standards and traceability throughout the food chain, while giving reassurance to the customer that what they are eating is whole chain British.
YHA through the scheme directly supports one of the oldest and greatest industries that we have in the UK, our farming industry and reaffirms our commitment to British farming. Over 78,000 farmers and growers are now members of the scheme, all committed to maintaining high standards of food safety and hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection. The Red Tractor logo can be spotted on thousands of products such as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, milk, cheese, cream, cereals, vegetables, sugar, flour, fruit and salads in shops and supermarkets everywhere.
Young people staying with YHA and visitors from overseas will be introduced to great British meat and we can all rest assured that the meat can be traced right back to the farm where the animal was raised.
The initial Youth Hostels taking part in the scheme are Ambleside, Borrowdale, Brecon, Bristol, Broad Haven, Cambridge, Canterbury, Castleton, Conwy, Grinton, Hartington, Ironbridge, London Holland Park, London Thameside, London St. Paul's, Oxford, Pen-y-Pass, Penzance, Sheringham, Stratford, Treyarnon, Whitby and York.