Book excerpt: The public sector in England spends around £2 billion per year on food and catering services. This NAO report contains three case studies which examine how public sector organisations can improve their food procurement practices in order to reduce costs whilst maintaining the quality of meals provided. The case studies cover three of the four largest expenditure areas relating to the provision of food in schools, hospitals and armed forces bases, and each case study examines the role played by organisations at different levels in the delivery chain, from department level down to frontline delivery. Two accompanying documents are available separately: the main report (HCP 963-I, ISBN 0102937427) and a good practice guide (HCP 963-III, ISBN 0102937443).