Until now known as the PSC100 Group, it provides a channel for collaborative work across the sector.
The principal associations driving the Alliance are: LACA, the school food people, the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA), the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO), ASSIST FM (local authority providers in Scotland), and the Professional Association of Catering in Education (PACE).
It aims to foster collaboration among them on issues of mutual concern and serves as a focus for joint action, including liaison with Government on topics such as procurement, food standards and sustainability.
Under new chair Matthew White, director of campus commerce and head of function at the University of Reading, the re-branded Alliance will be a natural home for all those issues within catering that are better served by a voice that reflects all its parts.
The PSC100 Group was a looser, more informal grouping that was started in 2009 to pursue areas of common concern among public sector caterers, including funding, food standards, obesity and malnutrition.
In 2019 it led a drive to encourage catering teams to serve more plant-based dishes and aim for less but better quality meat on menus – preferably sourced in the UK.
It has also recently represented the sector in discussions with Defra on developing a procurement framework.
