HC-One catering colleagues across the UK are gearing up to take part in HC-One’s Chef of the Year Competition which has launched for the first time. The competition offers catering colleagues at HC-One a fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents including their skills, creativity, and passion for preparing high-quality and nutritious meals for residents living in HC-One care homes.

The competition is designed to celebrate the talented colleagues who work within HC-One’s kitchens and recognise the vital role HC-One’s catering colleagues play in enhancing residents’ dining experiences. The inaugural Chef of the Year competition will see catering colleagues progress through three exciting stages.

The first stage will see catering colleagues working in HC-One care homes submit their signature dishes that are designed for a care home setting, outlining the nutritional benefits and explaining why the dish deserves to win. The signature dish must be a regular meal offered at the home as well as a Level 5 Minced and Moist alternative to cater for residents for specific requirements.

HC-One’s Executive Chef and Nutrition & Hydration Lead, Chris Bonner will be leading a team of judges including Ben Ross from Unox, Jamie Clews from Metcalf, and Nick Vardis from Foodbuy, to judge and shortlist 12 talented catering semi-finalists from the first stage of the competition at the end of April. The chosen 12 will then progress to the second stage of the competition which will be a semi-final live cook off taking place in Leeds on June 18.

The semi-finalists will be invited to bring their dishes to life in front of a panel of selected judges. The semi-finalists will receive support and mentorship from their HC-One Group Development Chefs to help them to perfect their skills and elevate their dishes further.

Six finalists from the second stage of the competition will then progress to the third and final stage of the competition, the grand finale. The six finalists will go head-to-head at a prestigious location on July 24, where one of the six finalists will be crowned the winner of the first HC-One Chef of the Year competition.

The winner of the HC-One Chef of the Year competition will receive a truly unforgettable prize – a trip to a destination famous for its rich culinary heritage, breath-taking views, providing the winning colleague the opportunity to indulge in some of the world’s most exquisite cuisine themselves in a top secret yet to be announced destination. The HC-One Chef of the Year competition is kindly being supported and sponsored by EF-Group, Unox, Contiquip, Lockharts and Nestle.

The judges have a set criteria that they will be assessing candidates on, including the nutritional value and suitability for a care setting, ensuring dishes meet residents’ dietary needs, are balanced, and cater to special requirements such as texture-modified diets including the Level 5 Minced and Moist alternative

Judges will also be looking at the creativity and presentation of the dishes as they look for visually stunning dishes that elevate care home dining, making the dish a feast for both the eyes and taste buds. Taste and flavour will also be judged as an important factor as dishes should be delicious, well-seasoned and appealing to residents.

Hydration and wellbeing will also be judged as part of the competition criteria where judges will consider how the dish contributes to the hydration and overall wellbeing of residents. Catering colleagues will also be assessed on how they minimise waste, sustainability, and creatively incorporate surplus ingredients into their dish.

Judges will also be looking at practicality in a care home kitchen, as meals should be realistic to prepare in a care setting whilst maintaining quality. The final aspect of the judging criteria is food hygiene and kitchen practices as during the live cook off stages contestants will be judged on food hygiene, cleanliness and safe preparation techniques.

“We are proud to be launching HC-One’s Chef of the Year competition for the first year. We are looking forward to seeing the incredible entries from our catering colleagues who go the extra mile to create exceptional meals."

““The competition provides a fantastic opportunity for our HC-One catering colleagues to be inspired and receive recognition for their amazing culinary talents they showcase in our care homes day in day out and celebrate the dedication of our culinary colleagues. Thank you to our sponsors EF-Group, Unox, Contiquip, Lockharts and Nestle for their support.”

“Working in catering within the care sector is highly rewarding – there’s great career progression; flexible working hours and you get to play a vital role in maintaining the health and wellbeing of residents.”