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LACA reveals 2025 Awards for Excellence shortlisted finalists

02 Jun 2025
The shortlisted finalists for the 2025 LACA Awards for Excellence have been announced with the winners in each of the categories being unveiled at the LACA Main Event in the summer.

The LACA Awards for Excellence aim to recognise individuals and teams that have made a 'real difference' to school food and education catering. The winners will be revealed at the LACA Awards for Excellence dinner taking place on the evening of Wednesday 9th July during the Main Event.

Being nominated for a LACA award gives a sense of prestige and honour at a personal level and raised the professional reputation of the organisation or school employing award winners.

LACA believes that good management, strong performances and high achievements deserve to be recognised and it is particularly important to not only reward but sustain motivation. The 2025 LACA Awards for Excellence shortlist includes:

LACA Catering Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Rational

  • Bury Council School Catering
  • Greenshaw Learning Trust
  • HCL Ltd
  • Impact Food Group
  • Olive Dining Ltd
  • Waltham Forest Catering

LACA Primary School Catering Team Award, sponsored by Middleton Foods

  • Belmont School, HCL
  • Carryduff School, EANI
  • Kenmore Park School, Nourish Contract Catering
  • Wexham Court School, Taylor Shaw
  • Woodlands School, Sefton Council

LACA Secondary School Catering Team Award, sponsored by Bidfood

  • Ashfield Boys High School – EANI
  • Stoke Newington School – Olive Dining
  • Telford Langley Catering Team – Telford and Wrekin Council

LACA Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by Civica

  • Kathy Dennis – Lets Dine, Telford and Wrekin
  • Karen Fisher Rees – Pembrokeshire CC
  • Sonia Blanchard/Gillian Morris – Blaenau Gwent CBC

LACA Marketing Award, sponsored by Wafflemeister

  • CATERed
  • ISS Education
  • Olive Dining
  • SchoolGrid
  • Shire Services

LACA & Natasha’s Allergy Research Foundation Allergy Management Award

  • Kirklees Catering Service
  • Norse Group – Menu Development team
  • Nourish Contract Catering – Food Development Team
  • SchoolGrid
  • Waltham Forest Catering

LACA Apprentice/Trainee Award, sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Cooks of London

  • Dilyana Merev – Bassingbourn Village College/IFG
  • Laura Falconer – Derbyshire County Catering
  • Sophie Piccioni-Vero – CATERed

Nan Berger Memorial Award, sponsored by Cereal Partners

  • Andy Hector – Impact Food Group
  • Aron Jordan – Doucecroft School, Autism Anglia
  • Joanne Phillips – Caterlink
  • Lauren Moore – Shire Services
  • Cardiff Council
  • SchoolGrid

Roger Davies Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Panasonic

  • Neil Fuller – Caterlink
  • Pokey Kitchen – Pokesdown Community School
  • Susan Vuli – Shire Services

LACA Outstanding Supplier of the Year Award

  • Apetito
  • Bidfood
  • Brakes
  • Creed Foodservice
  • Green Gourmet
  • Harlech Foodservice
  • McCain Foods
  • Wibble Foods
  • William White Meats

LACA Region of the Year, sponsored by Muller

  • South West
  • Wales
  • Yorkshire & Humber

In addition to these 11 awards, the Chair’s Award will be given out on the night. You can book places for the awards dinner on Wednesday 9th July to see the winners revealed.