Serving Up Resilience - Reflections from the TUCO Winter Conference

On Tuesday 13th, our Head of Sales & Accounts, Paul Markey, attended the TUCO Winter Conference at University College Birmingham on behalf of Lolly. With the theme “Serving Up Resilience”, the event provided a timely opportunity for universities and suppliers to come together and explore how the sector is responding to current challenges.

“The conference highlighted the increasing importance of resilience across the education and catering sectors. Ongoing operational and financial pressures mean organisations must continue to adapt, innovate, and collaborate. It was particularly encouraging to hear how universities are developing practical solutions to strengthen their operations while maintaining high-quality services.

The programme featured a strong mix of informative sessions and open discussions, focused on collaboration, flexibility, and long-term sustainability. A clear takeaway from the day was the value of partnership; challenges of this scale cannot be tackled in isolation, and meaningful collaboration between institutions and suppliers will be key to driving sustainable success.

Alongside the sessions, the conference provided a valuable opportunity to reconnect with existing clients and strengthen established relationships. These conversations offered important insight into current priorities and plans. Meeting new contacts was equally rewarding and created exciting opportunities for future collaboration.

The event was exceptionally well organised and delivered in a professional and welcoming environment. Overall, the TUCO Winter Conference was both insightful and enjoyable, reinforcing the importance of resilience, innovation, and partnership within the education community.

We look forward to building on the insights gained and continuing to work closely with universities and partners across the sector.”

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