Recipe 4 health award

Recipe 4 Health award

The Recipe 4 Health Award promotes businesses that focus on healthy eating, environmental issues, and social responsibility.

Recipe 4 Health is a Lancashire Trading Standards scheme for caterers. At each level, you have to show you are compliant with food safety, food standards, licensing and age restricted sales legislation. You will also need to have an awareness of healthy eating, environmental issues, allergens and alcohol issues.

The award is free and you need to have passed your last environmental health inspection. Then complete a self-assessment form, which asks for information about your business. This is then returned to Trading Standards, who will assess the form and any evidence provided. In some cases, a quick telephone chat might be needed or a short visit to your premises.

If Trading Standards feel you meet the criteria of the award, then you will be notified by us and receive your award through the post. The whole process should take no longer than 1 month. All businesses with the award will be promoted on our website, and through publicity of the scheme in council buildings.

Watch our video to find out more about the scheme

Benefits for your business

Businesses will be supported to make positive yet simple changes to their menus, policies, and practice to support the health of the local community and for the benefit of the local environment.

Businesses with the award will receive online promotion on the Lancashire gov website, which has full public access and is promoted across the country, and in council buildings.

Businesses with the award will receive a promotion pack containing a certificate and other eye-catching materials to display in premises along with a detailed support pack to help businesses maintain the award.

Applications for the award are free of charge.

How to apply

There are three levels to R4H - Bronze, Silver and Gold.

You must apply for each level of the award – for example, if you would like to apply for Silver, you must have the Bronze R4H Award first.

You must have attained at least 3 stars or over for the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

Please fill in the self-assessment form below. The form is then sent to Trading Standards. If you successfully qualify for the award, you will be notified by post. This should take no longer than 1 month.

Complete the self-assessment form carefully, answering yes/no and filling in the information requested. If any questions are not applicable to your business, please write N/A.

The more information you offer, the less likely an officer will need to pay an assessment visit. If you need more space, please include any extra information on additional paper.

Please provide a copy of your menu with your assessment sheet.

The self-assessment forms can be completed here:

Gold award application form

Silver award application form

Bronze award application form

Alternatively you can print the forms and return them to:

Recipe4Health Team
Lancashire Trading Standards
County Hall
Pitt Street
Preston
PR1 0LD

Save on postage and paper by filling in the form electronically, save it and email it back to: recipe4health@lancashire.gov.uk.

We encourage you to include evidence with your application, please scan it and attach it to the email, or send copies if you are returning your application by post.

You can apply to the award at any time of the year. If you have any questions, please contact: recipe4health@lancashire.gov.uk or 01772 532145.

Membership criteria

Supporting information

You need a 3 * Food Hygiene Rating to apply for the Bronze R4H Award, a 4 * Food Hygiene Rating to apply for the Silver R4H Award, and a 5 * Rating for the Gold R4H Award. You will also need to consider the following:

Do you promote and market your products? Are any of these the healthier items on the menu or marked as healthier? Do you actively promote healthier options to your customers? A healthier item on the menu could be a dish with wholegrain rice or bread, containing extra portions of fruit or vegetables, low-fat / salt / sugar dishes, a healthier kid’s meal, or even a smaller portion size.

Using the Eatwell Guide when planning menus and meals is considered good practice. The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. The R4H award encourages businesses to support staff by raising awareness of simple healthy eating guidance and increasing confidence in promoting healthy options to customers. For example: do dishes incorporate vegetables and salad as standard, are wholegrain options available, do you use reduced fat, salt and sugar items, or offer free tap water refills?

Including fruit, fibre or vegetables into your dishes will increase their nutritional value and taste. One portion of vegetables is around 80g – do you include this in your dishes or offer fruit and vegetables as snacks if possible? Do you offer vegetable side dishes?

Reducing sugar and salt in dishes can be easy – choose reduced salt condiments (e.g., reduced salt ketchup or soy sauce). Choosing saltshakers that have 3 holes rather than 5 and holding these behind the counter is the easiest way to reduce added salt in dishes. You can also use low-salt stock cubes, gravy granules and sauces where applicable. Choose low calorie or no added sugar drinks and display these at eye level.

If you serve hot drinks, do you offer semi or skimmed milk? When frying, do you look at oil maintenance and how this can be improved? (e.g., oil in deep fryers is regularly strained/debris skimmed after each batch/throughout service, fully filtered at least weekly, oil is topped up after every session and oil is changed before it froths, foams or smokes). Do you offer steamed, grilled, or boiled dishes as alternatives to fried?

Clear allergen guidance is essential for businesses – businesses should display signs that encourage customers to ask staff about allergenic ingredients and staff should be trained to check with the chef if customers have a query about allergens. Do you check pre-packaged products and request notifications from suppliers if products contain allergens? Are all staff made aware which menu items contain allergenic ingredients?

Businesses can support the reduction of food waste, serving dishes in sustainable packaging and buying local produce. Businesses should look at their trade waste contract and outline any other actions that minimise impact on the environment (e.g., recycling, energy efficiency measures, minimising water waste).

Existing award holders

Chorley

  • Nature Trail Nursery (Railway), 35 Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6LA
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Heskin), Withington Lane, Heskin, Chorley, PR7 5LU
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Brinscall), School Lane, Brinscall, Chorley, PR6 8QP
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Park Rd), 7 Trafalgar Street, Chorley, PR7 1HE
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Euxton), Euxton Methodist Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6LP
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Parbold), Parbold Hill, Parbold, Wigan, WN8 7TG
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Old School House), Parker Street, Chorley, PR7 1ES
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Chorley), Unit 1 Initial Site, Harpers Lane, Chorley, PR6 0FD
  • Playdor Nursery, 4 Chorley Hall Road, Chorley, PR7 4NB

Pendle

  • Loaves + Fishes - Church Street, Barnoldswick, BB18 5UR

Burnley

  • Giant Leap Childcare - Coal Clough House, Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, BB11 4NJ

Chorley

  • Playdor Nursery, 4 Chorley Hall Road, Chorley, PR7 4NB
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Railway), 35 Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6LA
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Heskin), Withington Lane, Heskin, Chorley, PR7 5LU
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Brinscall), School Lane, Brinscall, Chorley, PR6 8QP
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Park Rd), 7 Trafalgar Street, Chorley, PR7 1HE
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Euxton), Euxton Methodist Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6LP
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Parbold), Parbold Hill, Parbold, Wigan, WN8 7TG
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Old School House), Parker Street, Chorley, PR7 1ES
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Chorley), Unit 1 Initial Site, Harpers Lane, Chorley, PR6 0FD

Pendle

  • Old Fashioned Catering - 52 Manchester Road, Barnoldswick, BB18 5AR
  • Loaves + Fishes - Church Street, Barnoldswick, BB18 5UR

Rossendale

  • Haslingden Community Link - Bury Road, Haslingden, BB4 5PG

Burnley

  • Giant Leap Childcare - Coal Clough House, Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, BB11 4NJ

Chorley

  • Playdor Nursery, 4 Chorley Hall Road, Chorley, PR7 4NB
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Railway), 35 Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6LA
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Heskin), Withington Lane, Heskin, Chorley, PR7 5LU
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Brinscall), School Lane, Brinscall, Chorley, PR6 8QP
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Park Rd), 7 Trafalgar Street, Chorley, PR7 1HE
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Euxton), Euxton Methodist Hall, Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6LP
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Parbold), Parbold Hill, Parbold, Wigan, WN8 7TG
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Old School House), Parker Street, Chorley, PR7 1ES
  • Nature Trail Nursery (Chorley), Unit 1 Initial Site, Harpers Lane, Chorley, PR6 0FD

Pendle

  • The Café at Pendle Wavelengths - Leeds Road, Nelson, BB9 9TD
  • Santa’s Pizza - 176 Leeds Road, Nelson, BB9 9XW
  • The Sandwich Stop kiosk - The Kiosk, 1A Cross Street, Nelson, BB9 7EN
  • Nelson & Colne College - Scotland Road, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 7YT
  • Victoria Park Pavilion Café - Carr Road, Nelson, BB9 7SS
  • Egg Free Cakebox - 26 Manchester Road, Nelson, BB9 7EG
  • Mansha Sweet Centre - 62 to 66 Manchester Road, Nelson, BB9 7EJ
  • Flava - 151 Railway Street, Nelson, BB9 9PG
  • Freddys Chicken and Pizza - 70 Manchester Road, Nelson, BB9 7EJ
  • Kobeda Cuisine Ltd - 72A Manchester Road, Nelson, BB9 7EJ
  • Lalas Takeaway - 80 Manchester Road, Nelson, BB9 7HD 
  • Plaice on the Hill Chip Shop - 38 Larch Street, Nelson, BB9 9RH
  • Chunky Chicken - 292 to 296 Leeds Road, Nelson, BB9 8EP
  • The Village Pizzeria - 27 to 29 Railway Street, Nelson, BB9 9SG
  • The Kabin Sandwich Bar & Bistro - 138 Gisburn Road, Barrowford BB9 6HQ
  • Bodies in Motion - Orchid House, 30 Colne Road, Brierfield, Nelson, BB9 5NS
  • Funda Land - The Leisure Box, Northlight, Glen Way, Brierfield, Lancashire, BB9 5NH
  • Loaves + Fishes - Church Street, Barnoldswick, BB18 5UR
  • Sue's Pantry – West Craven Sports Centre, Kelbrook Road, Barnoldswick BB18 5TB
  • Old Fashioned Catering - 52 Manchester Road, Barnoldswick, BB18 5AR

Rossendale

  • Mason's Creations - Rawtenstall Market, Newchurch Road, BB4 7QX
  • Spicy Jack Deli - Rawtenstall Market, Newchurch Road, BB4 7QX
  • Crumb Sandwich Bar - 20 Newchurch Road, Rossendale, BB4 7QX
  • Riley's Butchers - 599-607 Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, Rossendale, BB4 8AN
  • Chicken Coop - Rawtenstall Market, Newchurch Road, BB4 7QX
  • Amphora Kitchen - Rawtenstall Market, Newchurch Road, BB4 7QX
  • Anna's Cafe Bar - 165 Burnley Road, Weir, Bacup, OL13 8QE
  • The Whitaker Museum - Whitaker Park, Haslingden Road, BB4 6RE
  • Haslingden Community Link - Bury Road, Haslingden, BB4 5PG

Burnley

  • Giant Leap Childcare - Coal Clough House, Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, BB11 4NJ