Acorn Awards 2025: Matthew Callaghan, Thomas Franks

Age 29

Position Nutrionist, Thomas Franks

Nominator Anna Davies, head of marketing and communications, Thomas Franks

Nutritionist Matthew Callaghan is redefining the role of food in education – one school, one plate, and one performance-enhancing meal at a time.

A trained chef with a master’s in sports and exercise nutrition, Callaghan brings a unique skillset to contract caterer Thomas Franks. Since joining in 2023, he’s transformed the business’s nutritional offering, particularly through his leadership of Fuel, a sports-focused programme supporting young athletes across 66 schools in London and the southeast.

Over the past year, he’s delivered sessions to nearly 5,000 students and audited 94% of spring menus – not just to meet standards, but to make nutrition meaningful. Whether developing Plant 30, an initiative to encourage students to eat 30 or more different plants a week, or launching the first Thomas Franks Sports Conference, an event which promotes the role of nutrition in sport performance, Callaghan is focused on creating long-term behavioural change through food.

His ambition shows in the numbers; at one school, daily fruit and veg consumption jumped from 16% to 58% after implementing Plant 30. He’s helped Thomas Franks retain clients through added value, hands-on education, and creative, evidence-led content.

Beyond the classroom, Callaghan mentors students and colleagues alike. He’s helped organise world-record charity cook-offs, developed meals for disadvantaged families by working with school-holiday hunger charity Feed London, and regularly delivers evening webinars for parents.

Having completed Thomas Franks’ professional growth programme Emerging Leaders and now a trained mental health first aider, Callaghan is bridging the gap between kitchen and classroom, nutrition and wellbeing.

With impact across operations, education, and strategy, he’s helping position Thomas Franks as a leader in nutrition-led catering.