Overview
About the Conference
In a sector where doing more with less has become the norm, how do we continue to innovate, inspire and make a difference?
The TUCO Winter Conference 2027 explores The Art of Persivilliance – bringing together perseverance, resilience and brilliance to celebrate the people, ideas and partnerships driving positive change across university catering and hospitality.
From community-led food initiatives and sustainable kitchens to groundbreaking research and smarter ways of working, we'll hear from people who have challenged convention, overcome obstacles and turned ambitious ideas into practical solutions.
Through inspiring stories, international perspectives and real-world examples, we'll explore how determination, collaboration and creative thinking can help us build a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.
Itinerary:
Tuesday 26th January:
Conference from just before lunch time at Liverpool University.
With refreshments available from just before. The day will close at 17:00 followed by dinner on the same evening
Speaker line up:
Community, Connection and the Power of Food
Jessica Carr and Jennifer Bostedo from Montclair State University will share the story behind Creating Viv, their innovative communal meal programme, exploring how food can strengthen connections and create a sense of belonging.
Ang McKay from Liverpool's Homebaked Bakery will demonstrate how a community-led bakery has become a powerful example of social enterprise, regeneration and the determination to create lasting change.
Challenging Convention: Sustainability in Practice
Martin Peterson from the Green Lab at Copenhagen Hospitality College will explore how the next generation of hospitality professionals are being encouraged to rethink food, waste and sustainability through practical experimentation and innovation.
Nichlas Saul from FoodOp and Ronny Saul from Jespers Torvekøkken will share their experiences of using technology, data and operational insight to tackle food waste, improve efficiency and deliver meaningful change in large-scale catering.
Research into Action: Living Labs
Dr Rachel Gibson returns to share the latest developments in the Living Labs research, exploring how collaboration between universities, researchers and catering teams can turn evidence into practical action and support more sustainable food systems.
Innovation in Learning: Developing the Next Generation
Mike Lear from the University of Nottingham will share his experience of developing a Learning Management System (LMS) specifically for chef training, demonstrating how digital innovation can support skills development, improve access to learning and help build more capable and confident kitchen teams while increasing retention.
Persivilliance in University Catering
Craig Berridge from the University of Liverpool and Emma Stansfield from the University of Manchester will bring the conversation closer to home, sharing perspectives from university catering and exploring the challenges, opportunities and determination required to keep moving forward in a changing sector.
The conference will be followed by an evening social event at Liverpool University's Victoria
Overnight stay (if required) close by at the Novotel hotel please select the relevant options in the booking form.
The Art of Persivilliance
Great ideas don't always come easily. Real change takes determination, collaboration and the willingness to try something different.
Join us as we celebrate the people who keep pushing boundaries, finding solutions and proving that even in challenging times, brilliant things are possible.
Full programme and speaker timings to follow.
Wednesday 27th January to Friday 29th January: Study Tour with visits to food markets, restaurants, local suppliers and pop up sites. For more information head to the Study Tour page when we have more details!
Full Members attend the conference free of charge (there are payment options available for dinner and overnight accommodation using invoice, credit card or for those of you who have them, Academy credits - please use the correct option when booking.)
