The programme and features at The School Food People Forum will address the disparities in school meals funding across the nations and explore strategies to ensure that all children and young people receive the very best school food to support their growth and learning.
It has never been more important to establish common ground and a collective voice on the importance of school food and the growing pressures operators are facing to provide this vital service. Attendees will only be able to attend Forum sessions on day two if they are a delegate.
The School Food Show & Forum facilitator Phil Raynsford will give a short welcome speech on day two of the Forum at 9.30am in the King’s Suite.
Dr Sara Long, a research fellow from Cardiff University, will provide an overview of the UK Government funded three year project called Reducing Inequalities in the School Food Environment (RISE). The project team are now in a position to share findings.
The next session will feature a spokesperson from the Department for Education (DfE). The DfE have had a big focus on the school food service since the change of Government in July 2024. They will update delegates on the breakfast pilots, the review of school food standards and the upcoming expansion of free school meals linked to Universal credit.
Jayne Jones, chief executive of the Scottish Food Commission, former The School Food People chair Judith Gregory and Colm Bradley will host sessions on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.
As a new body looking at food strategy in Scotland there will be an inevitable focus and impact on school food. Jones, a former head of catering in a Scottish local authority, will share her initial thoughts and ideas on what impact the commission would like to have.
The May Senedd elections in Wales could have a significant impact on the school food service. Gregory will give an overview of the potential impacts, including the rolling out UFSM in secondary schools and the review of healthy eating regulations.
Education Authority of Northern Ireland have executed many successful service and marketing strategies since covid. Bradley will share some of the successes with the hope that people will plagiarise and benefit from their learnings.
After a break for lunch, School Food Matters founder Stephanie Slater will discuss the proposed new School Food Standards and the creation of The School Food Project. She will update delegates on their work and objectives.
Five of the UK's leading food and education charities including Bite Back, Chefs in Schools, Jamie Oliver Group, School Food Matters and The Food Foundation have joined forces to launch the School Food Project to transform school food and food education across England.
Chris Sanders, sales & marketing director at Radnor Hills, will look into the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which is due to come into effect in October 2027. Sanders will explain how the scheme is going to work, why it is being introduced, what service providers need to do to prepare for it and the challenges you might face.
The final speech will be done by Spencer Kelly, offering delegates a whistlestop tour of AI and robotics. His life-long love affair with technology has allowed him to write, direct and present hundreds of short films, and seen him win Tech Personality of the Year, lose Celebrity Mastermind (by a whisker), be awarded an honorary doctorate of Technology, front Panorama and present at the BAFTAs.