NACC TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT FORUM 2025 PROGRAMME CONFIRMED
The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) once again returns to the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, 1 – 2 October, for the NACC Training & Development Forum 2025*.
The theme for the Forum this year is ‘Future Proofing Your Care Catering Operations’ and will cover everything someone working in the care catering sector will need to know now and for the future. The Forum will provide a wide range of keynote speakers, masterclasses, live cookery demonstrations, meet the buyer/supplier meetings, exhibition viewing and networking.
This year’s programme, reflects the issues that are topical within the care sector including a look at how the Care Home Catering market will evolve over the next decade and asking the question ‘are central production kitchen’s the way forward for the sector?
The first day will commence with the popular meet the buyer/supplier meetings. A number of new and returning premier partners and exhibitors will be on hand to talk about their products and offers. These will include names such as Atosa Catering Equipment UK Ltd, Cuisine Centre, Dunsters Farm, Love Struck, Middleton Food Products, Nisbets Ltd, ProSauce UK, WaterADE. Click here to view full list.
The day will conclude with a celebration of the 2025 Care Chef of the Year finalists, with the crowning of this year’s winner. This is a change from previous years and allows the chef to receive the attention that they truly deserve.
Neel Radia, National Chair of the NACC will kick off the second day with opening remarks, followed by plenary sessions exploring how to future-proof your care home kitchen and leverage AI and technology to enhance your services.
Other sessions will reflect on the first year under the new government, examine the caterer’s role in supporting resident wellbeing, and explore the risks associated with feeding residents who have allergies or other dietary challenges.
RELEVANT PROGRAMME:
The Forum will be chaired by Phil Raynsford and the expert keynote speakers set to inform and inspire include:
Simon Stenning, Founder, Future Foodservice – How will Britain eat in the care home catering market over the next 10 years. The presentation will explore all the developments for the future of care home catering, the key trends, drivers of change and emerging consumer demands. Simon will outline the most relevant food trends and consumer behaviours over the next 10 years and how they will affect the provision of services in care home catering.
Josh Hawker, Head of Operations, Ablecare Homes Ltd – Are Care central production kitchen’s the way forward in the Care Sector? Josh will explain how a regional care home group with a young and dynamic team, now have a central
production kitchen to feed all their homes – the team will discuss the benefits to management, operations, kitchen staff and ultimately residents.
David Mulcahy, Vice President, The Craft Guild of Chefs – Future proofing your Care Home Kitchen – David will look at how adopting sustainable practices can help care providers future-proof their operations against potential risks associated with climate change, resource shortages, and economic fluctuations. The session will look at practical sustainability practices from across the Hospitality Sector.
Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive Officer, The National Care Forum – Adult Social care – Where are we now? – Vic will bring you right up to date with the latest policy and practice across adult social care. She will talk through the very significant impacts of new legislation and policy as well as ensuring that you have a flavour of how care is changing in relation to the use of technology, latest models of delivery and what is coming over the horizon!
Dr Jane Townsend OBE, CEO, Homecare Association – Use of AI and technology in Care Services – This session will look at how AI and technology is used, where it works best and the benefits to the care business. As businesses prepare for the future, the importance of technology, sustainability and AI in hospitality will only grow. Adopting AI-driven solutions is no longer a question of “if,” but “when”.
INSPIRING COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS
Following on from the success of last year, there will be four demonstrations.
Special celebrity Chef, Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL, Saturday Kitchen and Chef Proprietor of Café Spice Namasté will be cooking some delicious small plate dishes for the delegates to take inspiration from and share with their residents.
Richard Clark, North England Area Manager, Robot Coupe – will give ideas to increase residents’ hydration and fibre intake through a range of great tasting drinks.
James Brown, Development Chef, Unilever Food Solutions and Samuel Sewell, Head Chef, Cinnamon Care Collection & NACC Care Chef of the Year 2024 will demonstrate Desserts with Benefits. This cookery demonstration will serve up some fabulous dessert ideas on how to give residents the tastiest, and naughtiest
looking sweet treat at the end of their meal, which is, in fact packed with as much goodness and nutrition as possible.
Continuing the sustainability theme, Respect the ingredient – will see Jamie Clews, Key Account Manager and Development Chef, Metcalfe Catering looking at reducing food waste one item at a time.
EDUCATIONAL AND INTERACTIVE MASTERCLASSES
Delegates will have the opportunity of attending two of the dynamic masterclasses, including:
DRY STORE INNOVATIONS
Danny Silcock, Development Chef, Brakes In this presentation, Brakes care development chef Danny Silcock shares his insights and ideas around the unsung heroes of care home catering – dry-store ingredients. He’ll outline his list of core ingredients, selected for cost-effectiveness, low waste and suitability for different skill levels, and discuss the importance of creating and enhancing base flavours and textures to add variety and avoid menu fatigue. He’ll also reveal his own top three ingredients; two of them very familiar, and the third a potential surprise!
FERMENTATION – HELP YOUR RESIDENTS MAINTAIN A HEALTHY GUT
Colin Wheeler-James, Founder, Ground up Cookery School will give tips on how to help residents maintain a healthy gut and overall well-being, whilst also reducing food waste.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Andrew Stokes, Service Manager, Fife This presentation outlines the key recruitment and retention challenges within our division, including geographical and contractual barriers. It highlights the innovative strategies we’ve implemented to attract and retain staff and shares future plans to strengthen our workforce. Our goal is to ensure we have the capacity and resilience to continue delivering high-quality public services to the people of Fife.
AI ISN’T MAGIC – IT’S JUST ANOTHER KITCHEN TOOL
John Feeney, Culinary & Innovation Director, Griffith Foods will share his experiences and tips on using AI to shake up your kitchen safely, smartly, and with a dash of creativity.
DISCUSSION PANELS
There are two discussion panels planned, both are designed to offer current thinking from profile professionals from the industry but also to invite discussion and debate from the delegates:
ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR A RESIDENT’S WELL-BEING? – DOES IT
STOP WITH JUST FOOD OR DOES IT GO FURTHER?
This is a frequently asked question amongst care caterers. Does your responsibility stop with just food or does it go further? A high-profile panel of country inspectorates, care home providers and dietitians will debate this hot topic and agree upon a framework we can all work to.
Charlotte Rudge, Deputy Director of Operations, Care Quality Commission Susan Price, Chair, British Dietetic Association (BDA)
Shona Davidson, Senior Improvement Advisor, Care Inspectorate
Jody Marshall, Group Hospitality Manager, Meallmore
Sophie Murray, Head of Hospitality, Harbour Healthcare Pauline Batty, Catering Lead, Monmouthshire County Council
EATING & DRINKING WITH ACKNOWLEDGED RISK – GIVING RESIDENTS PERMISSION TO HAVE WHAT THEY WANT
This panel will consider the decision to continue eating and drinking despite the associated risks from having dysphagia. These risks may refer to aspiration, malnutrition, dehydration and choking. In this session we will explore the rules verses a resident’s dignity, verses what we can practically do within the law.
Niamh Condon, Owner, Dining with Dignity
Alison Smith, Prescribing Support Consultant Dietitian, NHS
Dr Lindsey Collins, Lead Dementia Care Consultant and Trainer,
University of Bradford
Alex Ruck Keene, Barrister, Kings College London
NACC AWARDS AND GALA DINNER
The NACC Training & Development Forum will culminate with the Gala Dinner followed by the NACC Awards, when the winners are revealed and celebrated.
Neel Radia, National Chair, NACC, said:
“Once again, I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Nottingham in October. We have listened to the membership and have created a programme that will be both educational and interactive. The accompanying exhibition will have something for everyone.
The Training & Development Forum is an opportunity for people to come together, share knowledge and learning, and benefit from the experiences of like-minded people. It is also a cause for celebration as we recognise excellence through much anticipated NACC Awards 2025. I strongly recommend this event to anyone working in or associated with care catering we have gathered together some outstanding speakers, presenters and culinary experts, which will help us all face the challenges that continue to lie in front of us during these difficult economic times.”
