News

Neil Porter, business director at LACA, thanked the members, partners and education caterers who travelled to the event. He highlighted the Spring Seminars’ importance of updating LACA members about the organisation’s activities, networking with colleagues and sharing valuable information.

LACA chair outlines objectives

Gregory outlined LACA’s four key objectives for the year ahead. The first is to continue with the messaging for England focussing on the differences in school meals funding, so that there is consistency across all ​four UK nations along with the ringfencing of funding. Scotland receive £3.30, Wales get £3.20, in Northern Ireland it is £2.60 and England lags behind with £2.58.

The majority of LACA members surveyed (87%) said that free school meals funding between £3-3.20 was a more realistic figure in today’s market to create a two-course lunch. Universal infant free school meals funding has gone up by just 2.34% in the last five years. In contrast food prices have increased 54.34%.  

The second objective for LACA is to provide expertise to the DfE with the design of the planned free breakfast provision ​for primary schools in​ England.

LACA is aiming to use every opportunity to promote the great work that is being achieved by school caterers across the UK and ensure that LACA is the ‘go to’ organisation for all things school food. The fourth objective is to continue the focus on extending benefit based free school meals to all families on universal credit and exploring auto enrolment.

LACA ambassadors

Gregory announced some “exciting news” that Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE have agreed to become LACA ambassadors. The LACA chair noted that she was “looking forward to be working with them” and added that they would once again be attending the LACA Main Event, which is taking place on 8-9th July 2025 at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

Breakfast provision

LACA’s research found the cost per breakfast would be £1.98, based off 79p food cost and £1.19 labour cost. Assuming there is a 27% take up of breakfasts (based on Wales actual average) LACA worked out 1.4 million breakfasts would be served a day with 266.8m breakfasts served across a school year making the overall cost £528m per annum.

LACA’s breakfast survey, carried out in July 2024, found 40% of those surveyed agreed with Labour’s decision in its manifesto to provide universal breakfast provision. Over 72% of people agreed they would divert some of the breakfast provision to support the levelling up of free school meals funding.

LACA’s view

The LACA chair reaffirmed LACA’s current position on a number of issues including:

• Funding: Not aligned with real cost of provision. Cost of School Lunch report puts figure at £3.16 not £2.58
• National Insurance: ‘Double hit’ for providers with increased costs for their own staff, as well as suppliers passing on increased costs. 
• Breakfasts: Uncertainty regarding arrangements. What will the impact be on school lunch provision?
• Cost of living pressures: Possibility of declining school food standards due to lack of funding

LACA’s 2025 activities

LACA organised three school visits for the Department for Education to showcase the good quality of the school meals service whilst also highlighting the need for more funding. Gregory said that all three visits were a success, thanked The Pantry and Impact Food Group for their help as well as sharing the news that the DfE wanted to visit more schools.

Gregory also hailed the success of the Great School Lunch Event at the Senedd in March that showcased great school food and celebrated the roll out of universal primary free school meals. LACA will be hosting its Great School Lunch event at the House of Commons on 29th April at the House of Commons.

She concluded her update by encouraging attendees to enter LACA’s Awards for Excellence and to come to the ‘biggest event in the education catering calendar’ the LACA Main Event.

Political update

Olivia Harris, director at Menara Advisors, gave a political update where she outlined that UK politics remains ‘polarised’ with the Labour, Reform and Conservative parties all vying for attention and future votes.

Ahead of the Spring Statement, reports appeared in The Times that the DFE was considering cutting universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) funding. The backlash, from parents and schools, led by LACA caused the Chancellor to say this would not happen.

Harris highlighted that LACA’s main objective is to pressure the Government to increase funding for universal infant free school meals and free school meals.

Menara Advisors has been engaging with ministers and MPs over concerns around costs of NIC’s/labour costs as well as arranging a meeting with School Food Minister Stephen Morgan MP. It has also been engaging with Defra officials following the announcement of aims to ensure public institutions buy more British produce.

Harris concluded her speech by encouraging attendees to continue filling in the LACA surveys, to engage with their local MPs and to speak to local media.

Marketing Review

Amanda Whatley, business development manager at Hampshire County Council Education Catering, joined forces with Luke Consiglio, managing director of The Pantry, to review their marketing and membership strategies.

Using Slido.com the duo ran a series of polls to give them a snapshot of how LACA was doing. The questions included does ‘Does LACA make you feel proud to be part of the school meals industry?’, ‘how well does LACA understand the priorities of members?’ And ‘how effective has LACA’s lobbying been over the past 18 months?’

Consiglio encouraged attendees to get in touch with either of them to share any positive or negative feedback that could be used to improve the school meals organisation.

Social media

Immediate past chair of LACA Anita Brown gave a social media update on behalf of PR company Open Door. From when Open Door started helping LACA with its social media accounts in November 2022 the number of followers has increased.

There are 124 more followers on X, 302 more on Instagram, 2,714 more on LinkedIn and 1,884 more on Facebook. The main objective of LACA’s social media work was to drive more traffic to the LACA website.

Andrew Archer showed attendees how to pin the LACA website to their phone like an app on both iPhone and android.

Main Event

Archer told attendees that they had changed the logo of the School Food Show to give it a ‘new look and feel’. He also pointed out on the Main Event floorplan that all but eight stands have been booked.

The speaker programme for the 2025 LACA Main Event has been finalised. It will include Professor Giles Yeo, food futurologist Morgaine Gaye and Professor Don Bundy. The LACA Main Event will feature a four nation panel debate, the SCOTY final, Grab ‘N’ Go national final, Finishing Touches, workshops, LACA Live and the Awards for Excellence.

Case study 1: Impact Food Group

Alex Hall, food director at Impact Food Group, delivered a case study on ‘Our positive social and sustainable impact’. He said: “We want to nourish a generation with healthy habits as we know this has the power to transform students’ lives.”

He pointed out that research had shown that children who have access to free school meals and school breakfasts have better health, academic performance, attendance, engagement and concentration.

Hall noted that Impact Food Group was committed to ‘innovation’ across three key areas including food quality, communities that thrive and health of the planet. He pointed out that Impact Food Group’s first client was over 18 years ago and they are still working with them today.

He said the company tries to mirror what the high street brands are doing to increase school meal uptake. Hall added that staff retention was crucial and that the company has implemented initiatives to make them feel recognised.

Case study 2: Hertfordshire Catering Limited (HCL)

John Want, chief executive of HCL, hosted a session titled ‘Balancing nutrition and budget with increasing labour costs in school feeding’.

At the heart of HCL’s approach is a focus on creating healthier alternatives to fast food while promoting sustainability through more plant-based options. The team is developing new menu concepts for both primary and secondary schools, offering globally inspired meals that introduce exciting new flavours.

He acknowledged the impact of National Insurance increases would be ‘problematic for sure’. Want argued that nutritional standards are at risk as some schools are struggling with increasing costs as well as serving less fish, vegetables and fresh meals.

He concluded that the people in the room “must protect the nutritional value of food”. LACA believes that children should receive a hot, healthy and nutritious school meal every day.

Closing remarks

Porter announced that the 2025 version of National School Meals Week will take place from 10-14th November. The theme is school lunch skills for life with five core branches including nutrition, community, environment, social and cooking together.

Gregory concluded the Spring Seminar by encouraging attendees to continue campaigning for additional school meals funding.

Presentations from the seminar can be found below