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The LACA SCOTY competition aims to show the high quality of school meals and the contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of children. Jennifer, who is a school chef at Sarum Academy (OCS) in Salisbury, impressed judges with her inclusion of fish, ambitious flavours and her creativity.

Reflecting on the trip, Jennifer said: “The SCOTY trip to Venice was not only the highlight of the year, but also of my career, it was an amazing experience that I feel very lucky to have been part of. Winning SCOTY is a prize that just keeps on giving.

“I met some wonderful people, tasted some stunning food and learned a lot from the Unox team. I loved the markets in Padua, the river taxi and the beautiful streets of Venice. In fact nothing disappointed! Thank you, LACA and Unox for the Venice memories that I will now treasure forever.” 

Jennifer was joined by immediate past chair of LACA Anita Brown and former LACA chair Brad Pearce. Also on the study tour were SCOTY co-ordinator Carol Harwood, SCOTY judge Sharon Armstrong, Louise Wagstaffe representing competition sponsors Bisto by Premier Foods, Neil Porter business director at LACA, Mary Clinton senior operations support manager at OCS and LACA senior reporter Edward Waddell.

The visitors were accompanied by Unox’s market development specialists Robert Edwards and Jason Eland. Thanks to continued business growth, Unox UK has created a team of market development specialists who are dedicated to the public sector.

Rob commented: "What a fantastic trip, it's always nice to meet new people, showcase our fantastic facilities and provide an insight into the wonderful ethos behind our company, every visit to our HQ in Padua is a journey of discovery and even we learn new things, it's an absolute pleasure to share this with others. We cannot wait to do this again in the future, LACA you were amazing!”

Jason added: "Spending time with the LACA team at Unox HQ was truly inspiring. Their dedication to enhancing school catering standards and their passion for making a difference were evident throughout the visit. Sharing this experience—both at the cutting-edge facilities in Padua and during our memorable time in Venice—was a privilege and a reminder of the power of collaboration in shaping the future of education catering."

The study tour, which aimed to mix business and leisure, included a chef demonstration at Unox headquarters in Padua, an introduction to Unox’s manufacturing facilities and the opportunity to visit Venice.

On the first day guests travelled via water taxi to the heart of Venice where they visited St Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and wandered around the streets of Venice shopping. The group headed to Novedi restaurant to have a three course lunch before enjoying Aperol Spritz cocktails.

During the visit to the Unox headquarters in Padua Rob and Jason highlighted “simplistic and innovation” as the two key words that describe Unox. They said Unox aims to create and offer state-of the-art ovens, services and experiences. The Unox duo added that the oven manufacturer is committed to a better future and is aiming to be net zero by 2030.

The guests were then treated to an entertaining and informative chef demonstration by Claudio Novello, who was assisted by Jacobo Crosta. They showcased how the Cheftop Mind Map is used to perfectly bake 192 croissants using the help of a pre-set programme.

If chefs are in need of cooking advice they can activate the premium digital service package and get up to 30 minutes a month of video calls to talk to Unox experts who can offer a solution to their problem.

Claudio impressed the guests with a cooking demonstration using steak. He showed them that if the steak is too rare, chefs can give feedback to the oven (more than once if necessary) by answering a few questions. The oven takes on this feedback and adapts for the next time you cook steak. He said this was a useful solution as the oven will remember and in hospitality there is often a high staff turnover.

Guests were treated to delicious food during the chef demonstration including a burger, salmon, barbecue ribs as well as a spatchcock chicken that was cooked in just seven minutes by the Speed Oven X, which would ordinarily take four times as long. Claudio described it as “cooking the highest quality in the shortest time.”

Louise explained: “It’s an honour to lead the judging for LACA School Chef of the Year and each year, I look forward to the heats and final. There’s lots of talent in education catering and school chefs play a key role in the health of the next generation, so it’s fantastic to shine a spotlight on this sector. Thank you to Unox for arranging an amazing learning experience for us all.”

Attendees were then given a tour of the Unox state-of-the-art facilities to take a closer look at the innovation and detail that goes into every oven. In the evening the group went to Si StreetItalian Food for another three course meal, where one of the local chefs there had received a Unox oven for the restaurant after winning a competition.

Before flying home back to England the group headed into Padua to visit Pedrocchi Café, which is the oldest café in the city. Jennifer and the other eight guests were given some free time to explore the city and search for some Christmas presents.

Registration to take part in LACA School Chef of the Year 2025 closes on Friday 20th December.