Writing a Food Policy

We think the best thing you can do to support Good Food in Greenwich is to have a written food policy.  That way, you can include all the things you think are important, communicate it with your staff and service users, and come up with a plan to make changes and for every day practise.

​

How to write a food policy

A policy doesn't have to be long and complicated - in fact, the shorter and easier to understsand, the more likely people are to read and engage with it.  Here's some simple steps to follow to help you get there:

1. Schedule some time with your staff to workshop your ideas - what are your priorities? are there any cost implications? what are the easy wins you can achieve?  It's important to get buy-in from staff at an early stage so they have ownership and will agree to actions.  Are there champions you could call on to help?

2. Set down your plans in a simple document starting with your vision as an organisation around food. For example, 'We want to promote healthy sustainable food to our staff and service users and will do the following to do this' and then list the actions you will take

3. You may want to consult with staff and service users about the policy, but if not, finalise your policy and circulate to all staff with an action plan listing anything that needs to happen

4. Staff training. This is crucial so all staff understand the new policy and any actions or changes they need to make

5. Appoint a food group to keep track of how you're getting on

6. Host an event! A great way to shout about the great work you're doing

​

We have loads of ideas for things you could include in your food policy - choosing Fairtrade products, becoming breast-feeding friendly, having a healthy snacks policy, supporting the community through food - and we have made a support pack to help you through.  For more information about how to do this or if you'd like support with the process, email info@goodfoodingreenwich.org