Awarded SUGARWISE Accreditation

Totally Local Company is thrilled to share that we have received the prestigious SUGARWISE accreditation. This is a significant recognition of our ongoing efforts to enhance school menus by offering sugar-aware choices. This achievement highlights our commitment to providing nutritious, balanced meals while addressing growing concerns around sugar consumption in children’s diets.

Empowering Healthy Choices

SUGARWISE is a national initiative aimed at reducing sugar intake, encouraging healthier eating habits, and providing transparent information on sugar content. Founded in 2015 by Rend Platings, a Cambridge-based mother concerned about the excessive sugar in her children’s food, SUGARWISE has made great strides in promoting public health. The organisation has developed a test, in collaboration with scientists from Cambridge University, that helps differentiate between total sugar content and added sugar content in food products. By achieving SUGARWISE accreditation, we join a network of organisations dedicated to reducing excessive sugar consumption, especially among young people.

Image: Founder and Advocate of SUGARWISE, Rend Platings, takes the lead in campaigns to raise an awareness about the dangers of high sugar consumption and her vision for a healthier future.

Rend Platings’ leadership has been pivotal in raising awareness about the dangers of high sugar consumption, particularly in children’s diets. Her advocacy has played a key role in shaping public health policies and influencing the food industry. Rend’s vision, inspired by a World Health Organisation report recommending that free sugars should make up no more than 5% of our daily calories, has driven the push for healthier, lower sugar products. This vision is central to SUGARWISE’s mission, which is to raise awareness, increase the availability of low free sugar options, and drive demand for products with clearer, more transparent labelling.

SUGARWISE’s Work with School Caterers

SUGARWISE works closely with school caterers to help them provide healthier, sugar-conscious meals. The programme offers practical resources, advice, and training, empowering caterers to reduce the free sugars in school meals while keeping them flavourful and enjoyable. Tools for creating sugar-reduced menus, training for food service staff, and promoting collaboration across the sector are just a few of the ways SUGARWISE is helping make a positive impact on children’s health.

At Totally Local Company, we are dedicated to collaborating with experts like SUGARWISE to provide the best food options for our school clients. Our Food Development Chef, Rebecca Sly, has worked in collaboration with Rend Platings and the SUGARWISE team to implement meaningful changes to our menus. Together, we have focused on reducing free sugars without compromising on flavour, using low-sugar alternatives and highlighting the natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables while avoiding added sugars whenever possible.

Making Sugar-Aware Choices

The SUGARWISE-accredited menus we offer are aligned with the initiative’s goal of reducing free sugars in children’s diets. While school food standards provide guidelines for nutrition, they don’t specifically address free sugar limits, leaving room for improvement. Through our partnership with SUGARWISE, we are able to exceed these standards and provide meals that not only meet nutritional guidelines but also support the long-term health and development of students.

Our commitment to offering sugar-aware choices is a vital part of our mission to promote healthier school meals. We are proud to lead the way in providing high-quality, nutritious meals that prioritise children’s health and well-being.

A Vision for a Healthier Future

SUGARWISE was founded on a simple yet powerful vision: to make it easier for people, especially parents and caregivers, to make informed, lower sugar choices. By working with companies like Totally Local Company, SUGARWISE is increasing the availability of low free sugar options, raising awareness about sugar’s impact on health, and promoting clarity in food labelling. As part of the SUGARWISE network, we are excited to continue refining our menus and contributing to a healthier future for the young people we serve.

We look forward to further collaboration with SUGARWISE to make a lasting impact on children’s health.

For more information on our SUGARWISE-accredited menus, please contact Rebecca Sly, Development Chef, at rebecca.sly@totallylocalcompany.co.uk