Jack Feeny – winner of the OCC Trust Lou Willcock Scholarship – making his mark in hospitality

 

One year after winning the Lou Willcock Scholarship from the OCC Trust, Jack Feeny’s impact and profile are rising. As a champion of ethical practice, he’s making his mark in hospitality.

Jack’s intention was to use his £10,000 award and mentoring support to further develop No Mise En Plastic, the online resource he founded, which helps chefs eliminate single use products and cut kitchen waste.  Whilst doing so, he hoped to gain more valuable experience and build his professional network, in ways that would support future success.

Training as a chef in numerous prestigious restaurants, Jack’s growing concern about the environmental impact of established kitchen practices, was the genesis of No Mise En Plastic.

 

Winning the Lou Willcock Scholarship in March 2023 has supported Jack’s progress in a number of ways.

Completed an MSc in Regenerative Food, Farming and Enterprise at Schumacher College. The financial award, which came as part of the Scholarship, enabled Jack to focus on his studies and the development of No Mise En Plastic, without having to take on part time employment. His degree has equipped him with deep knowledge relevant to his ambitions to embed environmentally sustainable practice in hospitality.

Relaunched the No Mise En Plastic website (visit the site here), which includes a comprehensive manual, designed to help chefs tackle everything from toxic cleaning fluids to ubiquitous single use plastics, such as clingfilm, packaging and disposable gloves. The website also features a range of conversations with prominent chefs and restaurateurs, whose approaches to business are good for people and the planet. And using videos of chef’s preparing dishes, the Today’s Menu page will showcase ingredients that help our natural ecosystems thrive.

Launched a national campaign to scrap plastic chopping boards – unsustainable products that often end up in landfill. Informed by a recent academic study from environmental and material scientists at North Dakota University, which shows that plastic chopping boards are a significant source of microplastic deposits in restaurant food, Jack is enlisting support from an impressive network of chefs who are encouraging the use of wooden boards.  His campaign has received formal endorsement from the Food Standards Agency.

Commenting on the impact of winning the Lou Willcock Scholarship from the OCC Trust: “I’m excited by how financial support and mentoring has enabled me to grow NMEP to a new level. And the wider OCC community has been on hand to help, including with introductions to key players in industry, which has been extremely helpful. Without any doubt – I’d encourage others to apply.”

Note – those with an interest in Jack’s project, who would like to make contact with him, should email him on info@nmeplastic.com

 

The Lou Willcock Scholarship

Watch for call for submissions for 2024 Scholarship

The scholarship has been created to honour the legacy of Lou Willcock (1961 – 2018), a creative force in hospitality, who was a close friend and colleague of many in the OCC community. In addition to achieving great personal success as an entrepreneur, she dedicated herself to supporting others as a mentor and guide. Her relentlessly positive, hopeful and inquiring approach had a life-affirming
impact on all who knew her.

From Ceri Butcher, a long-term friend of Lou Willcock and Trustee of the OCC Trust: “Lou would have been delighted with the inaugural scholarship in her name being awarded to Jack. He, and his project, reflect Lou’s desire to help, support and mentor young people who go on to make a real difference to others. Jack’s resilience and determination are a true reflection of Lou’s approach to life.”