Pupils in parts of the Westcountry eat more British produce at school than many of their national counterparts, new figures have indicated.

Research by the Countryside Alliance Foundation (CAF) show that Devon councils take the issue of sourcing national produce seriously, with children in Torbay eating 100 per cent British school meals. Plymouth reported that 70 per cent of ingredients are sourced from the UK, higher than the national average.

They were the only Westcountry authorities to respond to the CAF’s Freedom of Information request, but campaigners say pupils across the Westcountry generally eat a high proportion of local produce, with some “shining examples” of good practice.

The foundation said only a third of local education authorities responded to its request. Of the 172 to do so, just 60 knew the country of origin of the food they source to serve in schools. Of those that do record where food is sourced from, in 2009/10 an average of 62 per cent of it was British.

The Countryside Alliance Foundation is now calling on the Government to impose a minimum standard of British food in schools.

But Ian Johnson, South West spokesman for the National Farmers Union, said it was better to make the process for sourcing locally easier than to use a “big stick” approach. He said: “Public procurement is a hugely complex area, and local authorities are under huge budgetary constraints. Yet it can be done, and shining examples exist in the South West.”

They include Cape Cornwall School in Penzance, which won Taste of the West’s award for sourcing locally. John Sheaves, chief executive of Taste of the West, said the approach had benefits for the whole curriculum, as pupils could visit farms and find out about food production. He said more could be done to insist that schools source locally, and said: “It can be done, but it’s very tempting for them to go with large companies who offer low bids. It needs to be done through contracts.”

Christine Channon, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for schools, said many secondary schools in Devon provided their own meals, using produce from their surrounding area. She said: “Particularly in the wake of foot and mouth, we in Devon are very keen to ensure that the quality of school food is good, and also that it is supplied from as locally as possible, to support farmers.”