The Public Sector Catering Alliance offers a collaborative forum and lobbying voice on issues of common interest across education, health and social care, prisons and the military.
As chair Matt takes the lead on the alliance’s annual action points and in forming consensus views on issues of shared concern such as Government buying standards, allergens, obesity and recruitment and retention.
Since becoming PSCA chair he has introduced a new ‘constitution’ to regularise the way it is led and works and overseen a pan public sector highlighting the huge challenges caterers currently face in managing food and energy price rises, supply disruptions and staff shortages.
The immediate past chair of TUCO, he received an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his work as TUCO chair and at the University of Reading, where he is currently director of student experience and education.
The list comprises of people who are the industry’s leading lights based on their ability to represent the concerns of people working in the sector, as well as their capacity to drive change. They cover schools, universities, hospitals, the care sector, prisons and catering colleges.
The ‘Most Influential’ people in foodservice will get the chance to air their views on key industry issues when they convene for a round table discussion in Westminster on December 14th. Out of it will come the key action points for the Public Sector Catering Alliance, chaired by Matthew White, to work on in 2024.
With staff shortages a continuing problem in the industry, the discussion this year will undoubtedly follow up on this work. Other topics likely to get an airing include price pressures and funding, particularly in schools where the unfairness of the current state funding for meals sees children in England disadvantaged compared to Scottish pupils.
