Welcome to the second edition of Entegra in Conversation, where we sit down with the people helping organisations across the UK tackle some of their biggest food procurement challenges.

This time, we spoke to Alison Eastwood, Head of Public Sector Operations. Alison joined the business earlier this year and has already become a familiar face for NHS trusts, schools and local authorities looking for a simpler and more transparent way to manage food and drink procurement.

We spoke about the realities public sector teams are facing right now, how the Government Commercial Agency’s (GCA) Buying Better Food and Drink framework works in practice, and why support after implementation matters just as much as the procurement process itself.
 

Public sector catering teams are under pressure from every direction at the moment. What conversations are you having most often with organisations?

The biggest pressure is still budget. Every conversation starts there because organisations are under pressure to maximise value from every pound they spend. At the same time, expectations around sustainability, nutrition and social value are increasing.

What I hear a lot is that people feel stretched. Procurement teams are managing large contracts with limited resource, catering teams are dealing with fluctuating prices, and everyone is trying to keep services running smoothly while proving value back to stakeholders and taxpayers.

There is also a real appetite for simplicity. People want confidence that the suppliers they are using are compliant, fairly priced and able to deliver consistently without creating extra admin.
 

How does the GCA’s Buying Better Food and Drink framework, that Entegra delivers, help with that?

One of the biggest advantages is that the groundwork has already been done. Suppliers on the framework are pre-vetted, so organisations are not starting from scratch every time they need to review or award a contract.

That saves time, but it also gives teams reassurance around compliance and due diligence.

What I think makes the framework different is the level of flexibility around it. Every organisation has different priorities. One trust may be heavily focused on cost control, while a local authority may place more emphasis on local sourcing or sustainability targets.

We work alongside organisations to shape the procurement approach around what matters to them rather than forcing everyone into the same model.
 

Social value has become a much bigger part of procurement conversations. How does the framework support that?

It comes up in almost every meeting now, especially with local authorities and education settings.

One feature people respond really positively to is the ability to nominate a preferred SME supplier to be added into the supply chain where appropriate standards have been met. That means organisations can continue supporting businesses that matter to their local community while still benefiting from the structure and governance of the framework.

That local connection is important. Public sector organisations want procurement decisions to have a positive impact beyond the contract itself.

We also support customers with sustainability reporting and product provenance information, which helps them demonstrate progress internally and externally. A lot of teams are being asked for clearer reporting now, particularly around responsible sourcing and carbon reduction.
 

Price volatility has been a huge challenge across food procurement over the past few years. How do you support organisations through that?

The support does not stop once a contract is in place. That is a really important point. When suppliers request price increases, we carry out due diligence and market testing before anything is agreed. Sometimes an increase is unavoidable because of wider market conditions, but even then, we work with organisations to explore mitigation options and minimise the impact where possible.

That ongoing contract support is valuable because public sector teams often do not have the time or internal resource to challenge every movement in the market themselves.

It is about helping people make informed decisions with clear information in front of them.
 

Traceability and reporting are becoming increasingly important too. What does that look like in practice?

Visibility is a big part of good procurement. The framework’s ordering system allows organisations to track spend clearly across suppliers and categories, which makes reporting much easier. That level of traceability helps teams identify opportunities to improve efficiency and demonstrate where public money is being spent.

For many organisations, reporting requirements are becoming more detailed every year. Having reliable data available in one place saves a huge amount of manual work.

It also helps support longer-term planning because you can start identifying trends rather than simply reacting to issues as they arise.
 

You work closely with NHS trusts, schools and local authorities. Are the challenges similar across the sectors?

There are definitely shared challenges, particularly around budgets and resource pressures, but every sector has its own priorities.

Schools are preparing for potential changes to food standards and looking carefully at how to maintain nutritional quality while managing costs. NHS organisations are balancing patient experience, operational pressures and long-term planning linked to the wider direction of healthcare services. Local authorities are often focused on social value, transparency and supporting local economies.

What links all of them is the need for procurement to feel manageable. People want practical support and clear communication. They want to know somebody is there to help when issues come up.
 

You are still relatively new to Entegra. What has stood out to you since joining?

The level of collaboration.

There is a genuine focus on helping customers solve problems rather than pushing a standard response. People across the business are very willing to share expertise and work together to find the right approach for each organisation.

That comes across in customer conversations as well. Public sector teams want partners they can trust and people they can pick up the phone to when they need support.

For me, that human side matters just as much as the procurement process itself.

Thanks to Alison for sharing her insights and experiences with us for this edition of Entegra in Conversation. As public sector organisations continue to balance quality, value and accountability, having the right support in place has never mattered more.

To learn more about the Buying Better Food and Drink framework and what it could mean for your organisation, speak to Alison Eastwood and the Entegra team today by requesting a callback.