Megan Van Someren, Jamie Oliver Group | 2023 Trend Event | thefoodpeople

Thank you, I'm pleased to be here.

Thank you Charles. I'm Megan Van someren, Chief Commercial Officer at the Jamie Oliver Group and a self-proclaimed food geek. I oversee product and partnerships, brand experience including digital and marketing, and social impact and sustainability. We're on an exciting trajectory, building on Jamie's 20-year legacy of using food to make a difference. We've reset the business with a new CEO, Kevin Styles, and a clear five-year plan to become an integrated food business. Our four growth pillars are media, restaurants, product and partnerships, and social impact through Ministry of Food. Central to everything is the mealtime moment—helping people navigate the constant compromise between time, cost, health, and enjoyment. Our brand purpose is to inspire and enable a healthier, happier world through the joy of food. We target active cooks and food socials, and our three magic ingredients are reliability, chef credentials and flavor expertise, and trust and integrity. We're committed to serving people with solutions that make cooking easier, more joyful, and more sustainable.

We've already had 100,000 people through Ministry of Food programs, mostly in community. Now we're unlocking the schools pillar with a pilot in 44 schools, reaching about 8,000 students. We aim to be in up to 80% of UK schools and extend to Australia and the US. We measure impact through a curriculum and partner with the University of Leeds to track confidence levels, reduction in takeaways, and increase in cooking at home.

Jamie is a dad first. He believes that introducing the joy of cooking at a young age creates pester power in a positive way—kids get excited about vegetables and bring that enthusiasm home. That's why the community and school pieces go hand in hand. He also launched his first children's book this year to spark discovery of food outdoors and togetherness.

First, it's Jamie's personality—passion, humor, fun in the kitchen. Second, behavior change science shows that if making healthier choices feels like work, it's harder to achieve. By dialing up joy, flavor, and deliciousness, we invite people to participate without worrying about whether it's healthy. Joy is the path to making better choices feel natural and enjoyable.

It comes from Jamie being a natural problem solver, always one step ahead. He's deeply connected to food culture through his campaigning, media, and restaurant work. There's a youthful energy that makes him relatable. He's taught generations how to cook, and our commitment to schools brings another generation into the fold. People trust that he cares and is trying to make things better.

Restaurants are critical. We have a strong international franchise business with high food standards. Returning to the UK with Catherine Street is about reasserting Jamie's chef credentials. It's going back to his roots—local suppliers, Best of British cuisine, fun twists on classics. It opens at the end of November, and bookings are open now.

No, it's very much Best of British—hearkening back to his pub upbringing. Classics reimagined, local and seasonal. No Italian overlay.

We're activating our five-year plan. From a media perspective, new books and content. From a product perspective, new categories launching next spring. We're reimagining our digital platforms with more CRM and data sophistication. Restaurants will grow internationally, and we'll make Catherine Street a success. Ministry of Food will scale the school pilot, enter year two of the Good School Food Awards, and expand into new markets.

After 25 years in the food industry, I wanted to harness my experience to drive trust into the food system. Values alignment is everything. The Jamie Oliver Group was at the top of my list. I had consulted with them before, and joining during their transformation has been incredibly fulfilling. I've never felt so passionate about making a difference within a business that is also trying to do the same.

You're very welcome. Thanks for having me.