24th Nov 2025 - 08:00
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Abstract
Public Sector Catering has convened a panel of independent judges to select the ‘most influential’ people from across the industry who help to ensure the nation is fed healthy and sustainable food.
You can meet the first five today (Monday, 24th November), with more names to be released as the week progresses. A full report on the list and why the people on it were chosen, will appear in the December issue of Public Sector Catering magazine.
The group of ‘most influential’ leaders will gather at the House of Commons for an industry round-table debate on Thursday 29th January 2026. They will discuss issues of common concern such as health, allergens, the food system, funding and procurement.
The first group of ‘most influential’ people making the list are:
- Mo Baines is head the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), a benchmarking organisation for local authority service providers whose research is used by LACA, among others, in getting data on meal costs and staffing rates.
- Denise Bean took over as head of catering at HMPPS, responsible for prisons and youth detention centres throughout England and Wales, when David Oliver stepped down.
- Don Bundy is professor of epidemiology and development at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and director of the Global Research Consortium for School Health & Nutrition.
- Kath Dalmeny has instigated and helped to develop the Good Food for London and Beyond the Food Bank reports, now established for over a decade and being replicated in other areas, driving uptake of good food schemes by local authorities.
- Nadim & Tanya Ednan-Laperouse having successfully campaigned for improved labelling legislation – known as Natasha’s Law – they then set up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation to help people with allergies safely manage the condition.
The next group of five names will be released tomorrow (25th November).
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