Chefs put to the test during Billingsgate Market experience

Five chefs from our care homes and retirement schemes came together to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience at the world-famous Billingsgate Market. The day was arranged courtesy of Robot Coupe.   

The day began at 6 AM with the lucky group being given an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Billingsgate Market at its peak operating hours from CJ Jackson, Principal of Billingsgate’s Seafood School. They learned the history, many secrets, and fun facts about the day-to-day operation of London’s most famous food market. 

Following the early start, the chefs were then treated to a crash course in seafood from CJ Jackson. CJ taught the group some expert skills and tips on prepping different kinds of fish and other marine life. The team then had a chance to test their skills in front of one of Britain’s most acclaimed seafood chefs. 

The day of learning ended with fierce competition  

Afterwards the chefs had another opportunity to showcase their skills as they competed against each other in a cooking contest. The competition was judged by CJ Jackson as well as Robot Coupe representative Jamie Clews, our 2021 Chef of the Year Verity Sims and Maria Bamford Director of Villages & Care Services South. The competition was fierce but in the end Sean McEnery, one of our Catering Managers supporting care homes in Coventry, was declared the winner.  

Each chef also received a signed copy of CJ’s new book and Sean also received overall winner received a superb Robot Coupe stick blender. 

Noel Finnegan, Catering Manager, said:

Thank you very much to Robot Coupe for organising such a splendid day! It was a great chance for some of our chefs to test their skills and learn some tricks they can bring back to try in their kitchens! I know I certainly learned a lot and we all definitely had a lot of fun. 

Jamie Clews from Robot Coupe said

As a solution driven company we love seeing chefs gain confidence working with some of our key ambassadors. It’s all about giving them the skills to thrive and take these skills and confidence back to their kitchens.

Our chefs are constantly honing their skills and learning new ways to produce delicious and nutritious meals for residents. The Billingsgate experience is just one example where our chefs learnt new methods of food preparation from the experts. To read more about what food means to us, click here. To learn more about our Chef of the Year competition, click here. 

Watch the highlights from the day here: