Food Matters Live Podcast

To mark National School Meals Week in the UK, the Food Matters Live podcast is making a series of episodes looking at the challenges around providing nutritious food for our children in the school canteen. In the last episode, we heard from the school caterer’s trade body LACA, about the challenges they are facing from rising costs and supply chain issues. There is no denying the difficulties being faced by school meal providers, but are there some innovative solutions out there? In this episode we meet Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive of the charity School Food Matters.  Look out for the next episode, where we hear from a researcher, who has studied the important role school meals can play in a child’s learning. Stephanie Slater, Chief Executive and Founder, School Food Matters Stephanie Slater is Founder and Chief Executive at School Food Matters.  She set up the charity in 2007 after successfully campaigning to improve the food at her children’s primary school.   In 2012, she was invited to join the School Food Plan's expert panel, tasked by the Department of Education to create an action plan to help head teachers improve school food. Ten years on, Stephanie has brought together leading charities in the School Food Review, a group calling on government to reform school food funding and policy so that no child misses out on good nutrition at school. Stephanie is vice-chair of Sustain; the alliance for better food and farming, a trustee of Alexandra Rose Charity and a member of the London Food Board.

To mark National School Meals Week in the UK, the Food Matters Live podcast is making a series of episodes looking at the challenges around providing nutritious food for our children in the school canteen. School meals are under pressure. Rising costs and supply chain issues are leading to some providers saying they will have to change their menus. So what does that mean for the food that is provided and the children who are eating it? Later in the series we will speak to a researcher, who has studied the impact of school meals on a child’s learning, and a school food charity. But in this episode we meet Brad Pearce, Managing Director of the school caterers trade body LACA, to find out more about the challenges they are facing and how they are hoping to overcome them. Brad Pearce, Managing Director, LACA Brad started his local government career straight from school at 16 joining Devon’s Trading Standards Team before taking up Client roles for Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) in cleaning and school catering in the late 1980’s. Plymouth born and bred, Brad moved to the new unitary authority of Plymouth City Council in 1998 and took on the role of sales and marketing of services direct to schools. In 2007 the Director of Education asked Brad to take on the role of Education Catering Manager and run the school meals service at a time of immense change and the initial impact of Jamie Oliver’s school meals campaign which, helpfully, lead to a significant opportunity and government funding to enable a plan to fully refurbish the school kitchen estate and build 21 new kitchens – ending transported meals across the city over the next 5 years. In 2013, Brad worked with the team at the national School Food Plan and lead the small schools project across rural Devon and Cornwall whilst at the same time working with schools in the city of Plymouth and the Council to secure a new way forward in providing their school food. In April 2015, CATERed was launched as the country’s first and only cooperative school meals provider owned by schools and the council where all schools share resources and funding - the big supporting the small – to ensure all children and young people, whatever their background, can access great tasting, freshly prepared, hot school food made from locally and regionally sourced produce and ingredients. Brad is the Managing Director of CATERed, has been a member of LACA since the early 1990’s, held the position of Regional Chair for the South West Region becoming a Board Member in 2018 and is now the National Vice Chair.

What is it like to work for one of the most well-known and growing brands in the food industry?That's exactly the position Dr David Lloyd, Senior Research and Development Manager at Huel, finds himself in.In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, the first to be recorded in front of a live studio audience as part of our Inspiring Careers in Food Series of events, he reveals all about his journey to the top.Dr Lloyd's role as Huel is heavily science based and includes a lot of project management.He has a degree in Chemical Engineering, which he got at Loughborough University, and he has a PhD in Formulation Engineering from the University of Birmingham.Before joining Huel, he was chief scientist at the huge multinational Unilever.Listen to the full episode to find out how Dr Lloyd found the move from Unilever to Huel, how much you can expect to earn if you follow a career path like his, and enjoy some questions from our audience of students who attended the event.Dr David Lloyd, Senior R&D Manager, HuelDr David Lloyd is Senior R&D Manager of Huel, a food company that makes a variety of nutritionally complete, plant-based meal products.As Huel has expanded in employees, sales revenue and scientific capability, David has played an important role on that journey over the last 3 years. He is now co-ordinating Huel’s longer-term R&D strategy to drive further growth and help Huel move up another gear.A passionate scientist and engineer (depending on the task at hand), David whilst still in the relatively early stages of his career has had a somewhat varied experience across industry and academia.Graduating from Loughborough with a degree in Chemical Engineering, it is slightly unconventional David wasn’t swallowed into the world of Petrochemicals and Pharmaceuticals with most of his peers but his passion for food led him in a different direction.After studying an Engineering Doctorate in Formulation Engineering under well renown food scientist Prof. Ian Norton, David worked 5 years for FMCG giants Unilever carrying out R&D innovation projects on ice cream & Ready-to-drink Iced Tea. Looking for a new challenge brought him into the early stages of the rapidly growing Huel business looking after their Ready-to-drink category before a switch to his current role.A common theme throughout David’s career is the ability to adapt and thrive in different environments. Industry or academia, small or large business, he has won multiple accolades for presentations, business delivery and most recently been nominated for Food & Drink Scientist of the Year 2022.

The food industry is arguably one of the most innovative sectors in the world, but what are the strategies and ideas that underpin successful product innovation?Innovation is big business in the food and drink industry. On the Food Matters Live podcast, we are often meeting people with great new ideas or tapping into growth trends, whether that is wellness, nutrition, plant based, ag-tech, or a whole host more.In this episode, made in partnership with Sopheon, we dig deep into the art and science of innovation, and ask: Are there certain practices that support most, if not all, successful product innovation projects?Which approaches can drive product innovation forwards? And what are the key questions innovators should be asking themselves?The modern world is ultra-connected, things are manufactured and assembled in multiple countries, team members work in different time zones, products are sold in different places.   That creates plenty of opportunity for innovation, but it can throw up challenges too. So, what does an ultra-connected world mean for innovation leaders?We delve into the potential opportunities provided by the Metaverse, and how innovators are looking at exploiting that brand new environment.What about smaller companies looking to innovate? Are the challenges different compared to larger businesses?Sopheon is a company with a long history of considering these ideas and applying them through its innovation management software and services.Our guest on this episode is Paul Heller, Sopheon's Chief Evangelist.Paul has led technology strategy and product development for Sopheon for nearly 25 years and is just the man to provide an informed perspective on how to go about your product innovation project.SopheonEnriched by experience with hundreds of longstanding, blue-chip customers, Sopheon provides the ability to control and manage innovation and new product development programs and pipelines more effectively and efficiently. Sopheon solutions deliver an innovation decision command centre that gives companies complete visibility, smarter decision-making, and better time to value.Sopheon offers a flexible and scalable single innovation system that integrates with any system or innovation process, is straightforward to deploy and use, and which is based on deep industry best practices and powerful decision support and data visualization capabilities.Sopheon clients enjoy superior strategy-to-execution performance and growth because they can consistently innovate, define, and develop a successful portfolio of products, and achieve faster time to market.Paul Heller, Chief Evangelist, SopheonPaul Heller has led technology strategy and product development for Sopheon since 1999. Today, his leadership helps Sopheon’s blue-chip client portfolio achieve high levels of success from their investments in innovation. Paul navigates the technology landscape for both Sopheon and its customers and identifies the business values linked to investments in innovation management systems and processes. He also advises executives on how to be more successful in innovation and regularly speaks and writes about innovation to business audiences.

Functional beverages may have begun life as a niche part of the drinks market, but with them now generating billions of dollars in revenue globally, it is a sector that cannot be ignored.Just go to your local supermarket or convenience store and see how many are on offer.But where is the market heading? What are the latest developments in terms of ingredients? And what does the data show consumers are after?In this episode, which is part of a short series made in partnership with Brenntag Food and Nutrition, we seek to answer those questions.Functional drinks have a market value of around $120 billion and that covers a whole range of different products.Some are attractive to people looking to stay active and mentally alert, but there are lots of different reasons people are attracted to functional drinks.The difficulty can be in seeing which way the market is moving and where the opportunities might be.There are other challenges thrown up by adding functional ingredients to drinks, not least getting the flavour right.Today's functional drinks market is about offering more than just one benefit per beverage, and creating a product using multiple functional ingredients presents its own challenges and is a fine balancing act.Brenntag share their expertise in this field, giving some insights into how they do it and how they work with their customers to meet their requirements on both functionality and taste.Listen to the full episode to find out about the main trends in the market, why some flavours work better with specific ingredients, and the important role e-gaming could play in the future of functional beverages.If you would like assistance from Brenntag with your development projects you can visit their booth at the upcoming Food Ingredients Europe show in Paris between 6th-8th December, or get in touch via their website. BrenntagBrenntag’s Nutrition team is home for more than 900 technical and commercial experts who are passionate about food and sustainable nutrition. In its 28 fully-equipped application and development centres worldwide the team has specialized technical service capabilities and offers excellent service in co-creating the solutions for tomorrow. The team’s aim is to achieve the optimum balance in nutritional composition looking for healthier options and nutritious formulations that satisfy every appetite.

Energy prices are soaring and having a profound and growing impact on businesses of all kinds. But the hospitality sector has faced incredible pressure across two years of the Covid pandemic. So, how is it coping with this latest, significant challenge? It is a sector where showing a positive, welcoming face to your customers is vital. But businesses in the sector are reporting energy price rises of 95%, and many are being forced to raise prices, drastically reduce energy use, and cut trading hours. In the UK, the Government has offered support in its Mini Budget.   But, with a tough winter looming, will that help be enough?   Will the smile be back on the face of the hospitality sector in the medium term? In this episode we hear from two people who can offer a rounded view of how the energy price crisis is affecting the industry. Gareth Fulford is chef and patron at a restaurant in Cheltenham, where he is feeling the effects every single day. His business, like many others, is fighting battles on two fronts; the increased cost of energy and the fact his customers have less disposable income as inflation soars. Harriet Walker is an analyst at Cornwall Insight, a firm that predicted a typical household energy bill could hit more than £4,000 next year. Gareth Fulford, Chef/patron, Purslane Restaurant  Purslane specialises in sustainable British seafood paired with the best Cotswold produce. Gareth comes from a family of butchers and has been working as a chef since his 16th birthday in various kitchens across the UK.  Then, after five years working at prestigious events cooking for royalty and various A-list celebrities, he settled in the Cotswolds to work at a top-quality gastro pub before realising his dream of opening Purslane Restaurant in 2012. Harriet Walker, Analyst, Cornwall Insight Harriet is an Analyst at Cornwall Insight in the Consumer Markets team, focusing on non-domestic supply and services.  Harriet leads the delivery of the quarterly SME Pricing report and co-produces the monthly and quarterly reports for the Non-Domestic Supplier Insight Service (NDSIS). Harriet joined Cornwall Insight in September 2021 after completing a MSc in Climate Change and International Development at the University of East Anglia.  She also volunteered as a Blog Content Coordinator for the virtual Climate Exp0 conference in 2021, working on the Green Recovery topic.

Anne Marie Butler did not always want to work in the food industry, in fact, she had originally hoped to become a lawyer.But she ended up becoming the "queen of cheese" at the dairy firm Edlong, thanks in part to a chance bit of work experience."I just didn't bother to arrange anything," she tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series.She ended up doing at stint at Kerry and so began her lifelong passion for food innovation, flavour and dairy.Anne Marie tells Elisa she believes everything happens for a reason and that work placement really has seen her land on her feet.She is now Edlong's Global Director of Innovation and Commercial Development.Like many people in the industry, she started off with a science degree and moved into new product development.Anne Marie says she believes everything happens for a reason and she urges others to "follow their gut" when making career decisions.Listen to the full episode to find out how she made it to her current role.Anne Marie Butler, Global Director of Innovation, EdlongAnne Marie has been in the food industry for over 15 years. With a varied background covering manufacturing, R&D and applications focusing on cheese, processed cheese, dairy alternatives, and flavours she has a passion for all things food.

There is no doubt that the alternative protein market is growing, but how can food companies make their own mark in this area?We are certainly hearing more and more about these products and there is no doubt that it has never been easier to find them on our supermarket shelves.In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Brenntag Food and Nutrition, we explore the challenges and the solutions for creating meat and dairy-free alternative products that excite the taste buds and entice consumers.Meat-alternatives, in particular, throw up a number of challenges, but work is being done right around the world to get things like the taste, texture and nutrient profile just right.And the prize for achieving those things is huge. It is predicted that the alternative protein market will grow to $26 billion by 2024.So does that mean we are all about to adopt a vegetarian diet? It seems the answer is no, with a growing number of consumers declaring themselves to be flexitarian.That throws up even more intriguing possibilities for producers, with hybrid products potentially taking centre stage.It is sometimes a difficult world to navigate, which is where Brenntag comes in.The company, with its knowledge of ingredients, market data and future trends, works with food producers to help them create the products they want to take to market.Listen to the full episode to learn more about the current state of the alternative protein market and where it might be heading, how Brenntag works with its customers to develop new products, and listen to our host, Stefan Gates, take part in a taste test.If you would like assistance from Brenntag with your development projects you can visit their booth at the upcoming Food Ingredients Europe show in Paris between 6th-8th December, or get in touch via their website. BrenntagBrenntag’s Nutrition team is home for more than 900 technical and commercial experts who are passionate about food and sustainable nutrition. In its 28 fully-equipped application and development centres worldwide the team has specialized technical service capabilities and offers excellent service in co-creating the solutions for tomorrow. The team’s aim is to achieve the optimum balance in nutritional composition looking for healthier options and nutritious formulations that satisfy every appetite.

For people coming out of prison, finding work can be a real struggle, but could the food industry hold the answer?There is a labour crisis in the industry at the moment, with a desperate need for a larger workforce.The Government’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee says chronic shortages could lead to further price rises and the UK becoming more dependent on food imports.In fact, it says if nothing is done to address the issue, labour shortages will shrink the sector permanently.The latest data suggests that as many as 80% of ex-prisoners are still unemployed a year after release.   So skilling up for this sector seems like a great idea.But with an industry which is increasingly hi-tech and forward thinking, is it possible to provide the right kind of up-to-date training and teach the right skills inside the prison walls?Listen to the full episode to find out more about two initiatives aimed at helping people into work after prison, how they are trying to overcome some of the unique challenges, and why there is a move towards training prisoners in the latest technological advances.Yvonne Thomas, Chief Executive, The Clink CharityYvonne joined The Clink Charity in January 2022 having spent her career to date in public and private sector organisations including BT, The Ministry of Justice and Interserve.  Latterly, she has been advising organisations including charities and community interest companies, particularly those who help find people good jobs and decent accommodation.  Much of her career has been spent trying to find ways to support people in their rehabilitation journey.  She is also a trustee of the national charity, People, Potential, Possibilities (P3).Charlie Guy – co-founder and CEO of LettUs GrowCharlie is co-founder and CEO of LettUs Grow, an indoor farming technology company on a mission to reduce the waste and carbon footprint of fresh produce, whilst increasing the sustainability and resilience of our global food system for future generations.Charlie has led LettUs Grow’s growth from three to over 30 staff members over the last five years, overseeing strategic direction and core business development activities.He was 2018 UK Tech Founder of the Year, Shell’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 and a finalist in the 2018 global Green Challenge sustainability award. Charlie is a founding member of the UK Urban Agritech Advisory Board and a judge for the internationally acclaimed Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge competition.

In the UK today there are millions of people going hungry, including an estimated two million children.It is hard to believe in a rich and resourceful country like the UK where there is, of course, more than enough food to go round. It is just not in the right place.And that is where FareShare UK comes in. FareShare is a national network of charitable food redistributors, who take surplus and waste food from the food industry and get it to frontline charities and community groups.However, this system is under severe stress. As the retailers and food producers are becoming more sustainable and managing to reduce food waste, donations to food charities have been reducing.    To compound that, the cost of living crisis is having a major detrimental effect on the food charities themselves.So, is the food still getting to where it needs to go? And can the food industry do more to help?Carl Hawkes, Head of Network Support, FareShare UKCarl Hawkes is a multi award-winning third sector leader who is passionate about creating opportunities for all. Currently the Head of Network Support at FareShare UK, Carl manages the distribution of FareShare’s food and also leads FareShare UK’s Employability Services and Community Development Team. Over the past 8 years, Carl has managed over £65 million worth of grants supporting those most in need. Carl is a regular guest lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, lecturing the Food Nutrition students on the societal benefit of redistributing surplus food. Carl has served on the Board of Trustees at the South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Association and is currently a Board Member at the Leeds Community Foundation. Outside of work Carl enjoys walking his dog and supporting Everton FC.