The full list of all 20 will be appearing tomorrow (Friday, November 29th).
An article looking in more depth at the list, and why the people on it were chosen, is appearing in the December issue of Public Sector Catering magazine.
This will be available online from Monday, December 2nd with print copies delivered from December 6th onwards.
The 2024 Top 20 ‘most influential’ people in foodservice reflects all the different parts of the sector – schools, hospitals, care, universities, prisons, and the military - as well as a number of people whose work addresses issues such as health, allergens, the food system, and procurement which are relevant to all.
It is chosen each year by a panel of independent judges.
Part 4
Neel Radia, chair of National Association of Care Catering (NACC), and into the second year of his fourth term head of the organisation for care homes and meals on wheels providers. Under him the NACC has been invited by the Government to take part in a ‘national conversation to develop a health service fit for the future’.
Alexia Robinson is the founder Love British Food, the group she started which organises the annual British Food Fortnight to promote the use of more British food in the public sector. She has started working groups for school chefs, with LACA, and for hospital caterers, with the HCA and the Hospital Food Review Team.
Karen Beech, the commercial lead - food category, Crown Commercial Service, has been charged with overseeing the roll-out of the Government’s new Buying Better Food and Drink Framework. This aims to offer a single site option to help caterers order a range of food, drink and equipment items that automatically comply with required standards.
Phil Shelley, the senior Operational Manager – Soft FM & National Lead for Net Zero Food at NHS England, is a former chair of the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA). He has overseen the creation of the NHS Chef Competition, which has just celebrated its fourth year with the biggest number of entries yet and helped drive the creation of the NHS Chef Academy
Katie Pettifer, interim chief executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) joined the agency in July 2021 and stepped up as the interim chief executive in August this year. The agency is being linked with the idea of monitoring compliance with School Food Standards as part changes to the Ofsted school inspections regime.