© LOCOG
Games-time catering represents a huge challenge for every host city. However, the importance attached to food – and in particular, the decision by LOCOG to create a dedicated “Sustainable Food Vision” – was something that set the 2012 Games apart from its predecessors.
LOCOG’s aim was not simply to ensure that the catering ran smoothly; they wanted to do it in a way that inspired every person who ate at a Games venue; and they wanted to improve the local food industry and leave a lasting, positive legacy post-Games. The ethos underpinning their Food Vision was a “tastier, healthier, greener Games”.
Following LOCOG’s publication of its Food Vision in December 2009, the Mayor of London’s Office issued a press release to say that it would adopt the London 2012 food standards and ensure that the sustainability requirements were included in all future contracts. The Mayor of London’s Office is responsible for one of the largest public sector purchasers and consumers of food in London, with approximately 30,000 employees across hundreds of sites, consuming hundreds of thousands of meals each week. This commitment was the first of its kind across such a significant UK body. From 2012, it means that Greater London Authority (GLA) staff and visitors will be guaranteed healthier, more environmentally sustainable food produced to higher animal welfare standards.