Somerset Larder set for £80m catering contract at Hinkley Point
Somerset Larder is a step closer to signing an £80m contract to provide catering services during the construction of EDF Energy's Hinkley Point C.
EDF Energy has announced its preferred bidders for supplier contracts for the proposed nuclear power station in Somerset.
Somerset Larder is made up of six Somerset food producers and was set up especially in 2014 to compete for the expected £80m contract. They are: Cricketer Farms, Nether Stowey; Cossey Produce, Bridgwater; DJ Miles & Co, Porlock; Pyne's of Somerset, Bridgwater; Mortimers Bakery, Yeovil and Gundenham Dairy, Wellington.
During peak construction, Somerset Larder estimates serving 8,000 meals a day - using some 1.5 million eggs, half a million kilograms of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, 20 tonnes of cheese and 1.2 million tea bags to service the site's catering needs per year.
Greg Parsons, managing director of Cricketer Farm and one of the founding directors of Somerset Larder said the vast scale of produce required will create a huge challenge.
He said: "The only solution was collaboration between all interested producers and the resulting formation of Somerset Larder, a company that can provide a central food hub for all Hinkley Point C's catering contractors.
"Should Somerset Larder secure the contract then this will provide huge, long term boost for the county's economy."
Leader of Taunton Borough Council, Cllr John Williams said: "The Hinkley contract award announcements are incredibly good news for our area. Confirmation that the largest construction project in the European Union is taking a major step forward is great to hear and with up to 25,000 workers on site that is a tremendous amount of mouths to feed."
Somerset Larder already operates at Hinkley Point C having won the £1.8m interim catering contract in 2014.
The proposed power station will provide reliable, low carbon electricity to meet 7% of UK demand. It will provide 25,000 employment opportunities on-site during its construction, including 1,000 apprenticeships.
