Two chefs from Care UK to compete for the NACC Chef of the Year Award title

Care UK is thrilled to announce that two chefs from Care UK are finalists for the National Association of Care Catering Chef of the Year Award. Graham Watson, Head Chef at Lauder Lodge care home and Alex Millichamp, Second Chef at Chandler Court will now go through to a finalist’s cook-off in October. 

 

The National Association of Care Catering Awards rewards individuals, teams, companies, and organisations who go above and beyond to deliver high-quality, nutritious food in a care setting. The regional cook-offs were organised throughout the summer across Scotland, North, Midlands, Wales, South West and South East regions with care chefs showcasing their skills and specialist knowledge to claim a spot in the final round. 

Graham and Alex will now be competing with other finalists to impress the judges one more time to see if they can claim the coveted title of NACC Chef of the Year Award. 

Five other chefs from Care UK were also selected and participated in the regional cook-offs:

• Maya Annamma Manoj, Head Chef at Appleby House care home
• Eryk Nawala, Head Chef at Larkland House care home
• Yavor Dimitrov, Head Chef at Highmarket House care home
• Alexandre Wendling, Head Chef at Lennox House care home
• Iain Young, Head Chef at Murrayside care home

The shortlisting for the regional cook-offs is the result of the dedication and focus of Care UK’s chefs and the strong catering team they have built up at their homes. The chefs and their teams take a person-centred approach to their cooking and meet every resident to design menus around their preferences and clinical needs. 

Graham Watson said, “It feels amazing to reach the finals and I am so excited for the final round. My approach is that meals don’t just have to be delicious and appealing but should be well balanced with all the right nutrients. I ask residents how they’re enjoying the food and I make modifications according to their feedback, it’s just like running a restaurant but you know your guests rather better.”

Alex Millichamp said: “I’m delighted to be one of the finalists for the National Association of Care Catering Awards this year. We always strive to provide food that is not only nutritious, but also incredibly flavourful to meet the residents’ needs and preferences – so it’s great to see the whole kitchen team’s efforts being recognised. I look forward to the final cook-off.”

Care UK’s Director, Food and Hotel Services Operations, Jon Bicknell said, “I am so pround of my team for all of their hard work and it is even more rewarding that their talent is recoginsed nationally. This is testament to our hotel team for their sedulous work in providing the best and well balanced meals to the residents across all our homes, whilst taking care of the food choices according to the residents’ preferences.”

The NACC Care Chef of the Year final will take place on 5th October at West Nottingham College.