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During a promotional video for NSMW, Brown said: “I am proud to be the chair of LACA at this exciting time of year and can I thank you all in advance for your involvement in NSMW 2023. Now in its 30th year NSMW has been a feature in school caterers’ calendars for such a long time.

“This year we are calling on all LACA members and indeed school caterers to once again come together and showcase all that is great about our fabulous industry. We all know that pupils benefit from a hot meal at lunchtime and as an industry we know the positive impact a nutritious meal has on attainment.

“It’s not just pupils who benefit. The industry employs thousands of frontline staff to help make and serve the meals. Hundreds of suppliers are based around the country to deliver the produce we need. British farmers, fishermen and so many other professions are employed to gather the ingredients required to make great school food.

“The theme for 2023 is: ‘Everybody benefits from a great school lunch’. We recognise these are challenging times at the moment with the cost of living crisis, rising school food costs and issues with staff recruitment. But also so many positives with free school meal funding being rolled out in London for one year and Wales for the foreseeable future.”

LACA’s objectives for NSMW include:

• Encourage new customers into the dining room
• Dispel any outdated views and opinions about school meals
• Entice children to try more new dishes such as plant-based meals
• Highlight the benefits of working in the school food industry
• Celebrate the 30 years of NSMW- invite your local MP/VIP to lunch

LACA members can get involved in NSMW by promoting the week-long event on your school website, newsletters and on social media. School caterers should get involved by running themed promotions in the school dining area. There are lots of free resources on the website to download.