Hospital Caterers Association welcomes new chair and vice chair

Catherine Jackson

Catherine Jackson

Other 16th April 2021
Catherine Jackson

Hospital Caterers Association welcomes new chair and vice chair

The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA), has appointed a new chair and vice chair following its AGM on 16th April 2021. 


Area soft FM manager for East/Midlothian & associated sites, and former HCA vice chair Brian Robb takes on the role of chair whilst head of catering at County Durham & Darlington NHS Services Stuart Wray takes on the position of vice chair. 

Brian Robb has a wealth of experience for the role having joined the HCA in 1999 and sat for many years on the council. Of the position he says: 
 “Chair of the HCA is not a position I sought for myself or ever dreamed of attaining however, now that I have, I see my tenure as one that requires me to continue delivering the work which ensures the organisation is fit for the future by becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee. I am keen in the short term to put in place a re-forming and modernising strategy.” 

He continues:
One of the most important things for me is that the HCA continues to support and meets the needs of its members. Helping them to navigate the extreme complexity of our day jobs as caterers in the NHS and to do so across a wide range of platforms such as education, training, guidance and legislation.” 

Looking ahead, the HCA will continue its work with the Hospital Food Review, new Hospital Food Standards, NHS Caterers Competitions and the delivery of their training and development forum rescheduled to March 2022. 

Vice chair Stuart Wray comments: 
“It’s is a fantastic opportunity and an honour to be appointed as the HCA’s new national vice-chair, during this challenging and turbulent time. As we are still navigating through the Covid-19 pandemic, I am looking forward to offering my support to Brian, HCA members and fellow NHS colleagues. I am thrilled to start work on sustainability issues, Covid-19 catering recovery plans, as well as helping increase standards and drive change in our sector.’’ 

Wray joined the HCA in 2006 and has more than 30 years of catering experience. 

Chairman Craig Smith has stepped down with immediate effect and takes the title of HCA immediate past chair.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.