The recent Public Sector Catering Expo put forward a strong argument for simple dishes forming the basis of menus in all public sector settings.

Good quality ingredients with minimal processing is at the heart of good catering across the sector, should it be a care home, school, university or hospital. This was the voice of the two key note speakers at the Winter Expo, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Prue Leith, both very prominent figures within the industry.

A need for reclaiming the origin of ingredients and telling the story to the people served, was the excited focus of Fearnley-Whittingstall. 'We as chefs want our food to arrive whole and then use our creativity', he said. 'Working from whole foods provides better flavour, more job satisfaction and it is more nutritious'. He argued that a connection to our food is now very important and we engage better when we understand the provenance.

The healthiest foods are whole foods and these should form the basis of our menus. Recognisable produce, not only fresh, but ingredients such as frozen peas or sliced meat joints. Basing our meals around whole fruit and vegetables is good for us and good for our planet.

Leith, called for a focus on whole food to become a government priority, 'It is in the interest of government to get its citizens as healthy as possible', applying this to schools, hospitals and prisons within the public sector. She called for healthy eating to become part of the curriculum, as well as lessons about sustainability and food politics.

Leith is an advisor to the recently announced hospital food review. She concluded her speaking with an inspiring nod to the joy of food, 'Food should be a pleasure. We are in a great industry, and we should be proud of it. But we do all need to bend our efforts to the best - and not be satisfied with junk'.