THREE nurseries have received national recognition for the quality of meals they serve their children.

The Busy Bees nurseries - based in Harrington Road, Brighton, Dyke Road Avenue, Hove, and St James Street, Lewes - have been awarded The Food for Life Gold Catering Mark.

They had to prove that they are dedicated to serving fresh and healthy meals which are better for the environment through sourcing food from local suppliers.

The standard also guarantees that all ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced, free from additives with at least 15 per cent organic ingredients.

MD Marg Randles said: "We have always been committed to delivering healthy nutritious meals and to encouraging children to make sensible choices.

"This goes hand in hand with our commitment to deliver the best for our children. It is only what every child deserves.

"Our chefs do an amazing job and we regularly see how much the children enjoy the variety and quality of food served every day."

Senior catering manager Mel Fox said parents will feel confident that what goes into the menus to feed their children is the very best produce available.

She said: "Good nutrition in the early years is crucially important for a child’s growth and development and will impact on their life-long health and well-being and success.

"The Catering Mark will ensure good quality; nutritious food and drinks are served alongside support and encouragement for children in the first five years of life to develop good eating habits for life."

The Soil Association judges whether nurseries are worthy of the recognition, and spokesman David Persaud said this is an excellent achievement.

He said: "The time needed to ensure menus are prepared to the standards that the Soil Association require takes a huge level of commitment and Busy Bees have shown this for a number of years now.

"It’s so important that our children are fed well, most of us recognise that, but to feed them well whilst also considering where the food is coming from and committing to using produce that promotes higher levels of animal welfare, ethics and sustainability takes it to another level."