Care home cooks battle it out to be crowned Chef of the Year

25th November 2009, 4:31pm

Six cooks from Barchester Healthcare's care homes around the country have battled it out to be crowned Chef of the Year by celebrity chef Paul Rankin.

The finalists were selected from more than 70 entries and were invited to join in a cook off at the Westminster College in London for the final stage of the competition.

The chefs created four dishes for a Best of British menu, in line with this year's theme for the competition, and the event was judged by Paul Rankin and Barchester's Director of Learning, Development and Hospitality Terry Tucker.

Rankin said: "Every year I judge this competition and every year I am more impressed with the quality of the dishes created in the final cook off. Everyone has made such an effort here today and have demonstrated that nutritious food can also be delicious! 

"High quality food for older people is a topic that is close to my heart and I am pleased that Barchester shares this commitment and encourages its chefs to maintain a high standard in cooking."

The competition is part of the Cooking with Care initiative and celebrates the wealth of cooking talent across its 220 care homes, highlighting Barchester's five-star dining experience.

Cooking with Care is about ensuring that the food at Barchester care homes isn't just nutritious, but tantalising and delicious, and encompasses a number of training courses, including a basic chef's diploma for apprentice chefs and a master chef's diploma to enhance specific skills of chefs working at a higher level.

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