TUCO Ltd

Love British Food’s Key Wishes for the New Labour Government: Proposals that can be done now by Ministers within existing budgets: • Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Establish cross-departmental cooperation on food policy to ensure cohesive approaches that connect food production with public health, education, and environmental sustainability. • Prioritise Community Engagement Over Lobbying: Work closely with organisations, businesses, and community leaders who are actively delivering change on the ground, rather than focusing on lobbying groups. • Move Beyond Targets: Instead of simply aiming for a target of 50% British food in the public sector, focus on a scheme that inspires and enables catering teams, food service organisations, and wholesalers to connect food procurement with nutritional outcomes. •‘Buy British’ Initiative: Encourage all food service organisations and wholesalers to feature a ‘Buy British’ category, similar to the supermarkets' ‘Buy British button,’ to promote and prioritise British produce. 🫵🏼 Suggestions that will need reallocation of existing budgets: •Food Education for All: Ensure that every primary school pupil knows where their food comes from, how to prepare it and that every secondary school pupil understands basic nutrition and the critical role of food in mental and physical health. •Clearer Food Labelling: Implement clearer labelling to highlight food provenance and the link between how food is produced and its nutritional value. Consider reallocating funds from existing programs, such as Red Tractor, to support this initiative. •Channel Government investment into promoting the benefits of eating seasonal, quality, local British food to the domestic consumer. Currently the majority of investment is geared to promoting British food to the export market. 👏 Possible ambitious new proposals that will need policy amendments and budgets increasing: •Free and Healthy School Meals: Provide free, healthy school meals for all children. At the very least, extend free school meals to all children on Universal Credit, and ring-fence the food allowance to ensure it is spent on high-quality, nutritious food. •Investment in British Agriculture: Substantially invest in growing more fruits, vegetables, beans, and pulses. Encourage public institutions to incorporate these foods as part of a balanced menu, alongside less but better-quality meat.

Think you have what it takes to win the Great Pie Challenge? Chefs and caterers from all sectors in the UK are being challenged to create a pie using British ingredients to include on their menus during British Food Fortnight. Open to all catering and hospitality sites - schools, hospitals, care homes, pubs, restaurants, hotels, cafes, business, destinations, event venues and stadia – chefs and caterers will need to create the pie following their industry guidelines on costs and nutrition. #GreatBritishPie #PieChallenge #BritishFoodWeek https://buff.ly/3Navce1

The 23rd British Food Fortnight is a time-honoured tradition celebrating the harvest with a wide range of activities, promotions, and fun events for everyone to enjoy. This annual event is a unique opportunity to showcase the diversity and quality of British food, supported by local communities, retailers, and the public sector. Morrisons, the Official Retail Partner, along with major food service organisations and the public sector, are all backing this event, with schools, hospitals, universities, and care homes joining in to celebrate British food. From food festivals to special school menus and national competitions, the event highlights the best of British food and emphasises the importance of providing good food for all. Leading food service organisations like Aramark, OCS, Sodexo, Chartwells, and Brakes are all taking part in the festivities with special promotions and events. https://buff.ly/3Navce1 #BritishFoodFortnight

Despite some stark similarities, the plant-based sector has come on leaps and bounds in terms of technological innovation. Consumers still value convenience, reaching for cupboard staples like legumes and proteinous pulses to swap the aubergine in their caponata - They still want oven-ready meals that don't skimp on quality or flavour. However, consistent complaints among plant-based diets of texture and transparency have prompted huge strides in specific progress. Precision fermentation has given us 'whole cuts' of plant-based 'meat' 'eggs' that are indistinguishable from the real thing and even 2D-printed milk & 3D-printed salmon. Plant-based butchers come into existence. #plantbased #consumers #vegetables #diets

Fermentation and food waste are interconnected in various ways. Fermentation can be used as a method to reduce food waste by preserving food items that are close to spoiling. By fermenting fruits and vegetables, they can be stored for longer periods of time, reducing the amount of food that goes to waste. Additionally, fermentation can also be used to create new products from food waste, such as turning vegetable scraps into flavourful pickles. Overall, fermentation offers a sustainable solution to reducing food waste and maximising the use of food resources. #Foodwaste #Fermentation #Fruit #Preserving #Fermenting

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology into the hospitality sector marks a significant shift in how businesses deliver customer service. In an industry where personalised experience is key, AI and tech offer a myriad of opportunities to enhance guest satisfaction and streamline operations. The Academy is showcasing suppliers in this webinar for currently attainable products and some that may be in the future. https://buff.ly/3zBB8ta #AI #Technology #Hospitality #Future #ArtificialIntelligence

The increase in popularity of vegan food is evident in today's society. More and more people are choosing to adopt a plant-based diet for various reasons, including health benefits, environmental concerns, and animal welfare. As a result, there has been a surge in vegan food options available in restaurants, grocery stores, and online. Whether it's tasty plant-based burgers, dairy-free ice cream, or nutritious vegan bowls, the rise in vegan food is reshaping the food industry and providing consumers with more ethical and sustainable choices. #plantbased #vegan #dairyfree #foodindustry

This unique course has been created by a dynamic team of nutritionists, food scientists and health psychologists, and provides practical knowledge and guidance for caterers to improve the nutritional value of menus and create an environment that positively encourages healthy food choices. The content is closely aligned to and incorporates the Menus of Change 24 Principles and is a good way to introduce the topic for catering staff to understand. https://buff.ly/3Tfoo28 #menusofchange #nutritionist #health #wellbeing #catering

Are you intrigued by the captivating world of food photography and its influence on social media? Meet Simon and Anne, our food photographers in the public sector, renowned for their innovative approach and impactful imagery. Having over 15 years experience in leveraging the power of food photography in fast paced events and competitions creating images for the realm of social media and print. Their work not only celebrates culinary delights but also resonates with audiences, fostering engagement and awareness through visual storytelling. In this introductory course, attendees of the course will gain valuable insights into the art and technique of food photography tailored for the public sector. From creating compelling content for social media campaigns. They will impart essential skills and strategies to effectively communicate through food imagery in the digital age. This course is designed to empower aspiring photographers and complete beginners to harness the potential of food photography for public engagement and digital storytelling. #catering #photography #education #students #university https://buff.ly/4dmFYIx

This joint study tour with Simply Lunch will take place in Dublin looking at how trends influence the market and the consumer and will include a walking tour of some of the best concepts the city has to offer. Dublin has long been a leading source of inspiration across food-to-go, with retailers and food-to-go specialists alike growing with a focus on quality and freshness at the heart of their propositions. And it remains a benchmark market. Our visits will include a broad cross section of concepts in and around the city centre, helping you better understand the shape of innovation and the propositions that are winning in the Irish market. Freshness, quality and provenance have long been reference points for the sector, we’ll share with you how that focus is evolving and how it is shaping new solutions. https://buff.ly/3KvKSqU