Green Business Awards 2010: Green champions (suppliers)

Have you ever wondered if that chicken kiev you're served in your local meets the same standards you'd apply when shopping yourself?

If it's supplied by Brakes Group you can take some reassurance. Brakes is the UK's leading food service business, supplying pubs, restaurants and hotels, as well as schools and hospitals, and it has led the industry in sourcing products with sustainability and ethical considerations in mind.

The company has been in business for over 50 years and in the past few years it has taken an increasingly proactive role in addressing the environmental and social issues facing all those who supply the catering and hospitality trades. Brakes uses more than 1,000 suppliers worldwide, each vetted through application of a strict ethical code. The company reviews the ethical and environmental performance of individual suppliers using a scorecard system.