A FORMER chef at University of Reading has been made an MBE on the New Year Honours List for his services to the catering and hospitality industry.
Matthew White, MBE, began working as a relief chef at the University 29 years ago. He is now the director of campus commerce, with responsibility for sports, accommodation, bars and catering. Under his leadership, catering has turned from a loss-making operation to contributing £12 million back into education and research.
He was nominated for an MBE for his career achievements at Reading, as well as for his leadership of the national university caterers’ organisation, TUCO. He will become chair of the Public Sector 100 Group, which brings together public sector catering organisations from education, health care and prison settings, in late 2022.
Mr White was told about the accolade at the beginning of November.
“I was really worried when I saw the Cabinet Office envelope, I wondered what I had done,” he said.
“I had to get my partner to read it to me as I was so emotional.”
It has been a long two months for Mr White, who was been unable to tell his family, friends and colleagues ahead of the official announcement.
“It’s been the hardest secret on earth to keep, especially from my parents, because I’ve been bursting with joy since I found out,” he added.
Not being able to tell colleagues has also been difficult, Mr White said, as he firmly believes the award reflects the hard work of his whole team to implement changes at the university.
Measures there have included introducing refillable bottle, cup and container schemes across campus, opening marketplaces for students to buy small amounts of loose ingredients, increasing use of local suppliers and produce from the university farm, and serving food at all university bars.
“Food is a very important part of life at Reading, and eating habits for life can form when students are at university,” he explained.
“We want to make sure our students develop sustainable and healthy attitudes.”
Mr White and his team have also adopted a pastoral approach to their work. Catering staff are offered mental health first aid training. As they are student-facing, they are often seen as being a friendly face on campus and may spot warning signs that a student is in difficulty.
During lockdown, the University’s food provision became click and collect and the team began to provide food boxes to self-isolating and quarantining students. It is a service which has continued.
His many other achievements include setting up a TUCO fundraising partnership with Mary’s Meals, an organisation which feeds school children in developing countries.
He also created a national training academy and an MA in catering, at London Southbank University.
The University of Reading is also the first in the UK to be approved by US university Stanford’s Menus of Change research project, which aims to encourage the catering and hospitality industry to make sustainable, environmental and social commitments.
