Eastcote Park Chef Cooks His Way Into Care Chef Of The Year Final

A menu inspired by the flavours of Birmingham has earned Nigel Cooke, Head Chef at Eastcote Park care home near Solihull, a place in the final of the Care Chef of the Year competition, organised by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC).

Nigel Cooke impressed the judges of the NACC Midlands Regional Chef competition with his culinary skills when creating a two course meal in 90 minutes on a budget of £3.00 per head based on three portions.

Nigel’s main course, which was highly commended,  was miso flavoured hake, cumin carrots, chicory, sweet potato fritter, mint yogurt and broccoli crumb. This was followed by a warm chocolate pudding, whipped condensed milk ice cream and pistachio.

Nigel Cooke commented, “I take great pride in my cooking and the presentation of my food. As a chef in a luxury care home, I also always cook meals which are of high nutritional value for our residents so this competition was a great way to showcase my cooking skills for the care sector.

“I am very happy to have been selected as a finalist out of the eight chefs taking part in the regional competition. I will need to step up to another level for the final but with the support of Eastcote Park and the Cinnamon Care Collection, anything is possible.”

The NACC Care Chef Competition is the longest standing care chef competition in the UK and challenges people who operate within the care sector to devise innovative and exciting recipes whilst adhering to a strict budget and meeting the nutritional needs of their clientele. The final of the Care Chef of the Year competition takes place on 5 October 2022.