Neil Porter, LACA chair of events and the organisation's business director, will open the event with a welcome to delegates and then set out the aims of the day. New Chair of LACA Judith Gregory will then update LACA members on the organisation’s strategy and focus for the coming year.
She will address the continuing Levelling Up School Food campaign, which asks the Government for fairer free school meals funding across the four nations of the UK. She will say that caterers should be reimbursed at least £3 per meal - index linked - and this should be ringfenced.
Nigel Argyle will be reporting on what school caterers up and down the country will have been up to during National School Meals Week (November 11-15), while Lee Petar from Menara Advisors will deliver his political update to attendees.
The seminar will also feature case studies from LACA 2024 Award for Excellence winners Local Food Links (Business of the Year Award) and Cardiff Council (The Nan Berger Memorial Award).
Public Sector Catering editor David Foad will interview the 2024 School Chef of the Year winner Jennifer Brown. Her winning dishes were ‘Easy like Monday mornay’ (baked pollock with cheese sauce in a potato and spinach case), followed by a dessert of rhubarb and custard meringue tart with raspberry coulis.
In addition, LACA has conducted some research aimed at giving members a clearer picture of how the school meals sector is currently constructed, particularly in relation to in-house, local authority and outsourced provision. The results will be shared by Neil Porter, Andrew Archer and Rebecca Saunders.
The seminar will kick-off at 9am and finish at 13.25 with closing remarks. To book, visit: www.laca.co.uk/events/laca-national-seminar.