Get your offer up to scratch

At Catered4theKids we have added to the free range debate - when we researched the standards for our new catering mark we were well aware of the growing consumer concern about the quality of the food we give to our children. When we launched the scheme at the end of last year we decided to set standards that others would follow.

Little did we know that the free range chicken debate was going to spark so much public interest. After speaking to leading national food producers, we went with the idea that if you cannot buy prepared free range chicken, we should produce our own - but what we have found is that the demand hugely out ways the supply.

It seems that Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have had a huge impact on people's choice of chicken and this has left us with a problem; there is just not enough British free range chicken to go round.

We applaud the effect that both celebrity chefs' campaigns have had on people's eating habits, but have had to look closely on how we can encourage publicans to source the products that will help them reap the benefits of being accredited with us.

On one hand, we want pubs to offer the growing family market a quality product, but we appreciate that if it is not available then in cannot be offered to customers.

So, as Jamie and Hugh mentioned, we cannot convert the nation overnight but we are offering a chance for all parties to win. We will stick to the goal of having all kids' chicken free range, but give all new applicants to the campaign 12 months to reach this target.

Carl May launched the Catered4theKids scheme earlier this year. He is a also a stalwart of The Publican's Sell More Save More programme​