Every year Public Sector Catering Magazine highlights 20 individuals who they believe deserve to be recognised as the most influential in the public sector catering industry. David Foad, editor of PSC magazine says of the 2021 intake: “Who are the people who are really shaping and driving the agenda in schools, hospitals, social care, universities, prisons and the military?
“It’s a question we’ve been asking since we convened a independent panel of judges to draw up the first Top 20 ‘most influential’ people in public sector catering in 2008. We’re still following the same formula and here is this year’s list - the order in which they appear is purely random and does not imply any sort of ranking.”
The 2021 Public Sector Catering ‘Most Influential’ include:
- Jacquie Blake, chair, LACA
- Molly Shaher, chair, PACE
- Phil Rees-Jones, chair, TUCO
- Jayne Jones, chair, ASSIST FM
- Andy Jones, chair, PSC100 Group
- Sue Cawthray, chair, NACC
- Brian Robb, chair, HCA
- Phil Shelley, senior operational & policy manager, NHS Estates and Facilities
- Stuart Roberts, deputy president, NFU
- Lindsay Graham, poverty & inequality commissioner, Scotland
- Andy Kemp, public sector ‘champion’, Bidfood
- David Oliver, head of catering HMPS
- Sean Haley, chair Sodexo UK & Ireland
- Sharon Hodgson MP
- Paul O’Brien, chief executive, APSE
- Eleanor Morris, special adviser Hospitality and Food Service, WRAP
- Robin Mills, MD Compass UK & Ireland
- Simon Billing, chief executive, Eating Better alliance
- Dr Susan Jebb, chair, Food Standards Agency
- Pete Ritchie, executive director Nourish Scotland
The Top 20 ‘Most Influential’ in public sector catering will enjoy a lunch organised by Mark Hill OBE, executive chef at the House of Commons. The Top 20 will also be involved in a round-table debate discussing problems and solutions to some of the issues affecting the public sector catering industry. The topics they will discuss include food insecurity, employment issues and the rising inflation.
Other guests in attendance will include:
- Cathy Amos, Brakes
- Andrew Archer, Dewberry Redpoint
- Claire Atkins-Morris, Sodexo UK & Ireland
- Howard Beasley, Essential Cuisine
- Scott Brown, Civica
- David Foad, Dewberry Redpoint
- Emmanual Grelaud, Mapal Group
- Maria Herron, APPG School Food
- Ellie Janes, Quorn
- Martin Mosley, Youngs Seafood
- Gerard Purnell, Birds Eye
- Lisa Richards, Unilever
- Sarah Robb, Premier Foods
- Ben Ross, Unox
- Philip Sanderson, Valentine/ Cuisinequip
- Paul Saunders, Major Int
- Rebecca Saunders, Dewberry Redpoint
- Nigel Shepherd, Defence Food
- Gavin Squires, Bidfood
A full write up will be included in the June issue of Public Sector Catering magazine.