The line-up for the grand final of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Care Chef of the Year 2017 competition has been announced.
The prestigious culinary competition seeks out the UK’s best chef working in the care sector. Following six exciting regional heats, 12 talented chefs, who demonstrated exceptional culinary skills, creativity and knowledge in this specialist field of catering, are preparing to go head-to-head for the coveted title.
They each produced innovative, mouth-watering two-course menus live in front of a panel of expert judges and stood out for their nutritional understanding of the foods being used, as well as culinary flair in flavours, execution and presentation, to secure their places in the final.
The national final takes place on Wednesday 7 June at Barking & Dagenham College’s Technical Skills Academy.
The 2017 NACC Care Chef of the Year finalists are:
Callum Chapman, The Close Care Home, Burcot
Paul Criggall of Turning Point Smithfield Services, Manchester
Glenn Francis of Abbeyfield Ballachulish
Craig Handley of Sunrise Senior Living of Cardiff
Roger Heathcote of Signature at The Miramar, Herne Bay
Adam Hedges of Sunrise of Mobberley
David Higgins, Brendoncare Foundation, Wincester
Simon Lewis, Gracewell of Frome
Peter McGregor of Perry Manor, Worcester
Martin McKee of The Hawthorns, Aldridge
Stuart Middleton of Meallmore Lodge Care Home, Inverness
Sam Nurse of Coombe Hill Manor, Kingston-upon-Thames
Neel Radia, national chair, NACC, commented, “The NACC Care Chef of the Year competition is a fantastic platform to showcase the incredible skills and knowledge of chefs working in the care sector.
'From ensuring meals are nutritionally balanced and beneficial, through to catering for individual needs such as special diets, cultural requirements, reduced appetites and eating difficulties caused by conditions such as dementia and dysphagia, there is an awful lot to consider when creating delicious, appealing menus.
'The competitors in the regional finals demonstrated the highest standards of excellence and understanding of this specialist area of catering. Congratulations to the finalists. From what we’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a closely fought and exciting final. I wish them all the very best of luck.”
Sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Cooks and Premier Foods, the NACC Care Chef of the Year competition spotlights the care catering sector and the talented, qualified chefs operating within it. Entrants are challenged to create a nutritionally-balanced, two-course menu (main and dessert) that is suitable for service users in a care setting. The combined food cost for both courses must be no more that £2.25 per head based on four portions and it is to be produced in just 90 minutes.
The name of the prestigious culinary competition changed from NACC Care Cook of the Year to NACC Care Chef of the Year for 2017, in recognition of the culinary excellence and professionalism within the sector and the specialist skills and knowledge demanded of and demonstrated by chefs.