Three Bristol nurseries have become the first in the country to be given an award for providing quality organic food.

Two of the three Abbeywood Tots nurseries in Filton, Stockwood and Abbeywood, which are all certified organic by the Soil Association, have their own organic allotments.

The nurseries' efforts to provide fresh and organic food for the children who attend them have been recognised with a Gold Food for Life catering mark, as part of an accreditation scheme run by the association to identify sustainable caterers.

Two of the owners, brother and sister team Mike Williams and Amanda Fry, received their award from Prince Charles last week at an event in Nottingham.

To achieve the gold mark, the nurseries had to prove their menus were at least 75 per cent freshly prepared, 50 per cent local and 30 per cent organic.

The family-run nursery business, which was runner-up in the under £5-million turnover category in last year's Evening Post Business Awards, has looked after more than 1,000 youngsters since first opening in 1997.

The owners said they decided to go 100 per cent organic so the nurseries could provide a healthy, balanced diet for the children and because they wanted to source food locally.

The Abbeywood and Stockwood nurseries have their own allotments, which the children tend all year round, and the children from the Filton nursery visit the other nurseries' allotments.

At the Abbeywood allotment, which lies just behind the nursery building, they currently have cabbages, parsnips, blackberries, pears and apples growing, as well as a fishpond, picnic area and sandpit.

Amanda, 42, from Bridgeyate, said: "It is great to be recognised for what we do here, so it is good to get this award. We discussed our plans for the future with Prince Charles when we met him, and he was impressed with our idea of getting chickens for the allotment.

"The children love spending time on our allotments and it is very important to what we teach them here.

"We want them to learn where their food comes from and how to prepare it from scratch – from the garden to the plate. We teach them how to look after plants and how to cook. Research shows that children, especially boys, learn better outside, and we agree."

All the nurseries' beef, pork and lamb is supplied by Cullimore's organic food company in Stroud, and local suppliers MD Kidners provide all of their fruit and veg. As well as occasional meat dishes, the nurseries' chefs cook pulses, pasta dishes and fish dishes.

Amanda said: "Our food has a lot less additives than what a lot of children eat nowadays, and we believe this increases the concentration our children have, so they learn more and behave much better."