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PurposeThe research (funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation) aims to support the UK Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative by working with leading contract caterers to develop principles of sustainable food procurement and key performance indicators to measure progress in putting them into practice.Design/methodology/approachInitial informal discussions with catering contractors confirmed the need for the research and explored ideas as to how to take it forward. Extensive secondary research then informed the development of nine draft principles of sustainable food procurement. These were further refined following review by individual companies. An expert panel was then convened for final drafting and to reach consensus.Research limitations/implicationsThe research provides operating principles that can be used to inform procurement practice. However changing organisational practice, particularly in large organizations, is challenging and will take time. The researchers have produced a guide to assist implementation and monitoring of progress.Practical implicationsPublic sector catering is only 7 per cent of the total catering market by value. Therefore progress in this sector has a limited impact on the overall catering food supply chain. Only five of the original nine principles were adopted, so not all aspects of the sustainability agenda may be addressed.Originality/valueThe paper has value in assisting the implementation of UK Government policy towards sustainable food. Participants in the research are dominant within public sector contract catering and have reached consensus as to which aspects of the sustainability agenda it is feasible to progress at the present time.

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