A Helston butchers and a farm on the Lizard Peninsula has helped a catering company receive the Soil Association’s top award.

Education catering company Aspens has been awarded the Gold Food for Life Catering Mark for serving locally produced meals for 17 Cornish primary schools.

All the milk used is organic and provided by Roskilly’s at St Keverne, while meat is farm-assured (meaning it is ethically produced) and comes from Scorse Foods in Helston.

Fruit and vegetables are supplied by Falmouth-based family-run Westcountry Fruit sales.

More than 500 meals are now served every day to schools from Boscastle down to St Mawes.

Rob Sexton, chief executive officer of Soil Association Certification, said: “This is a fantastic achievement. Aspens are showing that is it possible to serve high-quality school food, whilst supporting local businesses and supporting environmentally sustainable production methods.

“This award will reassure pupils, parents and staff that meals are prepared freshly using local, seasonal and organic ingredients. At a time when public interest in the provenance of food is growing, this achievement is the reassurance that pupils and parents are looking for.”