2010: Top 20'Most Influential'

31st December 2010, 11:28am

One year on from the very first Cost Sector Catering list of the Top 20 'most influential' people in public sector catering we have a new list of people whose work, decisions and views are shaping the future. David Foad reports.

Our first Top 20 was announced last year with a recession underway and a general election looming. Everyone knew these two factors would usher in a period of financial belt tightening in the public sector, but questions like 'where?',' how?' and 'by how much?' were still some way from being answered.

The recession's bite had yet to be really felt and this was reflected in the choices of the panel of industry experts who compiled the list.

As 2010 draws to a close the political landscape has changed significantly and we've now got a clearer idea of how the Coalition Government's bid to rein in spending will impact on the public sector.

Such considerations will certainly have been in the minds of this year's judges when they met to weigh the influence of the candidates for the 2010 Top 20, as sponsored by Falcon/ Williams.

But, more than last year, our panel has been particularly impressed by some of the individual stories that have inspired caterers in the public sector and in so doing have influenced ideas about what can and should be achieved.

Al Crisci, head of catering at HMP High Down, has invested a lot of time and effort in using the kitchen as a place to give prisoners that second chance he believes they deserve. He is now able to see the ambitious Clink! project develop as it draws in people from the hospitality industry to see how it works, how they can get involved and how their own businesses might benefit.

And Jamie Oliver's influence continues to be felt in the school meals arena. Love him or loathe him, it's difficult to argue that his ability to raise awareness of the poor quality of some school meals, galvanise politicians and champion healthier choices have not had a profound effect on school catering.

Not only that, but his Fifteen project has dipped into the pool of people whose choices and personal circumstances have made them potentially unemployable and given them a chance to train and make a career in hospitality.

Cynics might say that his efforts have been designed to generate publicity for his own business ventures, but if that was his sole aim I'm sure he could have found much easier areas to work in.

They have both made this year's Top 20, as has Mike Pearson, the head of hotel services at the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust, whose vision of a Cornish regional food production hub buying as much locally-sourced food as possible and preparing meals, has been realised in the Cornwall Food CPU initiative.

The countdown to 2012 and the London Olympics has also helped shape the 2010 Top 20, with David Russell, Olympic catering consultant and LOCOG member, and Jan Matthews, Olympic catering manager, both named this year.

The profiles they are achieving simply by being associated with the Games guarantee them clout within the industry, but the choices they are making today will also be part of the Olympic legacy that everyone hopes will be enjoyed for many years after 2012.

The cost of food and equipment will, inevitably, be a hugely important part of public sector catering in 2011 and beyond, and this is reflected in the judges' choice of Darren Byford, director of Pro5, to fly the flag for procurement.

As a group, Pro5 has muscled into territory previously only occupied by OGC and grown its purchasing and supply operation beyond merely equipment into food and drink to the point that it cannot be ignored by buyers.

On these pages you can find the full Top 20 for 2010, meet our judges and look at 2009's Top 20 to see the changes. And in our January issue we will bring you a report of the round-table discussion these influential people had when they met to talk about public sector catering and the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review.