Taylor Shaw school meals contractor for Sheffield schools, have taken another positive step forward in promoting local meat supply, in providing high quality pork sausage on their menu.  In partnership with Underwood Meat Company, Rotherham, their preferred supplier they have secured locally reared pork from Whirlow Hall Farm based in Whirlow, Sheffield. 
Whirlow Hall Farm is an educational charity, comprising a fully-functioning working high welfare farm, spanning 138 acres with a variety of livestock, horticulture, pick your own fruit and vegetables, a vineyard and a farm shop and café.
Peter McGrath, general manager for Taylor Shaw, says this is an exciting development for Taylor Shaw, we are passionate about local supply and produce and know that a lot of schools visit the farm for educational visits. We are really pleased that all partners have embraced this initiative and I am sure that schools, parents and the children will too. The first supply of the product will link well with the Sheffield Food Festival that starts on the 14 September 2012, when Taylor Shaw, (sponsors of the event) will be promoting Sheffield food by providing a Yorkshire menu in schools on the eve of the event, which includes Whirlow Hall Farm recipe sausage. In addition to this the Whirlow Hall Farm produce will also feature on this year’s Christmas menu. Last year saw the highest take up of the Christmas meal ever in Sheffield and we are sure that by including Whirlow Hall Farm produce this year, it not only adds value but will see a further improvement in take up.
Rob Waitt - Head of Retail & Catering at Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, says providing produce for Sheffield schools is a great opportunity to support local procurement but also links in strongly with the Whirlow Hall Farm Trust ethos of educating school children about where food comes from.
We welcome over ten thousand school children to the farm each year and it made sense to round the circle, allowing children to taste the produce that they will have seen been reared on the farm. All profits from the Farm Shop support the Charitable Trust
John Heeley, Managing Director, Underwood Meat Company, says ‘This is a great initiative. The whole process from the initial idea, through planning and production has been well organised by all involved. We are delighted to play an integral part in this local high quality, sustainable, supply chain.  Working with local farmers and producers provides the opportunity to supply local high quality products throughout our core business and to the local community in our retail outlets.
Trade Sector Manager for Foodservice at BPEX welcomed the initiative saying “It is great to see businesses working in partnership with farmers to create good sustainable supply chains. What is particularly pleasing is that the whole supply chain from farm through to pork never leaves the Sheffield Post Code area and covers less than 50 food miles in total.  Add to this the bringing together of school children with visits to the Whirlow Hall Farm Trust to see pig farming up close and then to have pork and sausages from those pigs served as part of the school meals in Sheffield really educates children as to where their food comes from and great standards to which food is produced
 

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