The Public Sector Catering Awards ceremony will recognise excellence across the sector in schools, hospitals, care homes, universities, catering colleges, prisons and the armed forces as well as contract caterers.
The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 9th April at the Hilton London Metropole. Entries to the prestigious awards will close on Friday 30th January 2026. In total there are 17 categories available for nominations.
For the University Catering Award, the judges are looking for an individual, team, or organisation that has had a major influence on the provision of foodservice to students and/or the development of commercial catering operations in a university. The category is open to in-house and outsourced operations.
The Special Contribution Award will be awarded to an organisation, team or individual who, although not directly involved in providing catering services to the industry, have performed a role that has had a significant influence on the provision of services in one or more areas of the public sector.
Health and Nutrition Award looks to recognise good practice in the delivery of a clear health and nutrition strategy within a specific part or across the entire public sector. All nominees must have encouraged the concept of ‘eating for health’ and indicate which market sector they have targeted.
Judges for the Marketing Award are looking for an initiative or sustained campaign by an individual, team, or organisation working for an outsourced or in-house operation that has proved successful and exceeded expectations. Entries can range from themed events to new business strategies or even political campaigning.
The Prison Catering Award, which was introduced last year, is looking for those who have overcome operational challenges, innovated with ingredients and menus, achieved training success for team members or prisoners working alongside them, sought feedback on the food served and responded.
This Sustainability Award, which was won by Argyll and Bute Council in 2025, aims to recognise the company or organisation that has best integrated social, economic and environmental concerns into its business. Key issues could include stakeholder engagement, labour standards, food and plastic waste handling, employee and community relations, and sustainable and ethical sourcing.
For the Team of the Year Award category, judges are looking for evidence of demonstrating collaborative success, improvements to the service and/or customer experience and the impact that ‘working as a team’ had on individual members.
The 2026 Public Sector Catering Award sponsors include: Brakes, Ecolog, Essential Cuisine, Hobart Service, Lockhart Catering Equipment, Middleton Foods, Premier Foods, Rational, TUCO, Unox and Winterhalter.
To nominate yourself, your team or someone else, visit: https://pscawards.co.uk/ before the closing date of Friday 30th January 2025.