Brad, who was vice chair, has stepped up after Michael Hales unexpectedly resigned just over two months into the role.
A statement sent to members said: “Brad has served LACA with distinction over many years, including as a previous chair (2022/23), and most recently as vice-chair.
“He will be supported by senior members of the National Steering Group: Judith Gregory (immediate past-chair), Neil Porter (business director) and Bryan Lygate (vice-chair elect).
“Brad’s focus as chair is clear and urgent: fighting for the funding our sector needs so every child - especially the most vulnerable - can rely on a healthy, hot school meal every single day.”
The organisation also reminded members that this ‘fight’ had become even more important following the Government’s recent announcement on free school meals (FSM) funding in England.
It said: “The Government’s decision to raise the Free School Meal rate by just 2% to £2.66 is, quite frankly, disgraceful.
“At a time when food inflation has risen by around 50% since 2020, when school caterers are facing soaring ingredient, staffing and energy costs, and when the Government claims it wants to lift children out of poverty, this level of funding is nowhere near enough.
“By it’s own measures, food inflation is suggested to reach 5.7% by the end of the year.
“We know that for many pupils, their school lunch is their only hot, nutritious meal of the day. Underfunding this service puts those children at direct risk - and it is the poorest children who will feel the consequences first.
“This decision is not just disappointing. It is the opposite of what a Government that states they have a commitment to tackling child poverty should be doing.”
LACA added that ministers had actually placed additional pressures on the school meals sector.
These included increasing the National Living Wage and London Living Wage, expanding entitlement, and continuing to ignore the widening gap between real costs and FSM funding.
“Caterers cannot keep absorbing these pressures indefinitely. Ultimately, if this continues, quality can only be compromised and services will – and sadly already have - collapsed.
“Children will suffer. LACA will not allow this issue to be ignored,” said the statement.
“We will be writing immediately to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, and the Secretary of State for Education to set out the scale of the crisis and demand urgent action.
“Our message will be direct: FSM funding must rise to at least £3.45 per meal (as of 2025-2026), index-linked, if this Government is serious about child health, child poverty and the future of the school meals service.
“Under Brad’s leadership, LACA will continue to speak clearly, forcefully and relentlessly on behalf of our members - and on behalf of the millions of children who depend on a safe, sustainable and properly funded school food system,” the statement added.