Caterers' Forum

The Caterers' Forum is a consultative body of a cross-section of caterers which meet 3 times a year to discuss and share ideas and advice on the transformation of school food and how to increase the take-up of school meals.

Specific Roles

• To understand the common challenges caterers face.
• To identify replicable solutions to those challenges.
• To share best practice and innovative ideas on how to increase take-up of school meals.
• To share understanding of what support caterers need in order to implement the standards and transform school food.
• Provide strategic advice to SFT on ensuring effective change.
• Considering wider context and the contribution school meals make including the link into Every Child Matters.
• A key influencing role for caterers in the school food transformation programme.
• Help to resolve specific issues and topics as they arise – For Example:
  • Measuring nutritional value for menus;
  • Procurement Issues and sustainability;
  • Securing the buy-in of caterers to regional training centres;
  • More Zinc/Iron into the meal at reasonable cost;
  • Meal Experience and its impact on take up;
  • Financing and best use of funding;
  • Caterers link up with head teachers, parents, pupils and other key stakeholders.

Meeting activity

The forum will meet face to face three times a year, once per term.

Members will attend any extra-ordinary meetings if specific issues arise which need to be immediately addressed. These meetings will be held by conference call.

An email group will be set up where members can discuss issues and share best practice on an ongoing basis. The Trust will also send out any relevant information or updates to the group, and at times seek the view of, or ask for consultative feedback from, the caterer’s forum on key projects or issues as they arise.

Membership

The Caterers Forum will be kept small and have consistent membership in order to maximise effectiveness. The following types of members will be represented and reflect size and geographical spread where possible:

• DSOs;
• Private sector caterers;
• Schools running in-house provision;
• LACA;
• DCSF.

Others will be invited as appropriate to the agenda of each meeting. For example:

• People 1st;
• Healthy Schools;
• Unison;
• PTA/Govs. Rep;
• Customers and Suppliers depending on topic.

Membership will be reviewed annually.

Current Members