Finalists for Chef of the Year 2023 announced

Every year, chefs from across our care homes compete in our prestigious Chef of the Year competition. 

Open to all Anchor chefs, the competition challenges entrants to create a three-course menu featuring a starter, main course and dessert. 

Chef of the Year is an opportunity to showcase the expertise and the high-quality nutritious meals our chefs prepare for residents every day. The dishes for each entry must be made with the same fresh, locally sourced ingredients the chefs would use when preparing meals for residents, and the competition requires one of the courses to be prepared to IDDSI level 4 standard to demonstrate their skills in this area.

IDDSI stands for International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative, and is a framework used to determine the texture of modified food and drink for people living with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties). For Chef of the Year, our finalists have to pick one dish from their three course menu to produce at an IDDSI Level 4 texture (pureed). 

There are three rounds to the competition and the criteria used to judge entries includes the visual appeal of the dishes, menu choice and the skill demonstrated.  

We are pleased to announce that four chefs have made it through the first two rounds of the competition and are now getting ready to compete in our live final, which will take place on the 6 July 2023 at Leeds College.

The finalists are: 

Charlotte Holmes – The Manor House Barnard Castle

Starter

Garlic & Tarragon Mushrooms, served on Toasted Ciabatta

Main

Corn-fed Chicken Breast wrapped with Parma Ham and Yorkshire blue cheese sauce, accompanied by Tender Stem Broccoli and Baby New Potatoes in a Chive Butter

Dessert

Lemon Cheesecake with Glazed Blueberries on a Blueberry Gel

James Conroy - Eric Morecambe House

Starter

Goats Cheese Croquets with Spinach Salad and Onion Chutney

Main

Pan Roasted Chicken Breast in a Wild Mushroom & Brandy Sauce with Fresh Greens and Roasted Potatoes

Dessert

Strawberry & Cream Choux Buns with Chocolate Sauce

Lewis Cutler - West Hall 

Starter

Korean Mustard Plant Scotch Eggs

Main

Braised Lamb Shepherds Pie with Root Vegetables

Dessert

Carrot & Parsnip Cake with Lemon & Wild Thyme Frosting

Paul Thomas - Buckingham Lodge 

Starter

Butternut Squash Panna Cotta, Whipped Goats Cheese and Chives, Dressed Lambs Lettuce with Basil Oil

Main

Pan Seared Cod Loin with Crushed Baby Potatoes and Spinach, Charred Asparagus, Chorizo and Caper Butter

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Ganache, Clotted Cream, Seasonal Picked Fruit and Chocolate Soil

Noel Finnegan, Catering Manager at Anchor said:

Congratulations to all the finalists, the entries were all very impressive this year but these four really stood out.  

All our care homes are committed to making mealtimes an enjoyable and sociable part of the day and each of the chefs work closely with residents to learn their dietary preferences so there’s always something for everyone to look forward to.  

We are looking forward to seeing how they do at the live final.

Don’t forget to check back or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the Chef of the Year competition and find out who will be crowned our 2023 winner!