Anchor Chef Of The Year Announced

A chef at a West Byfleet care home has won Anchor’s Chef of the Year competition following one final showdown at Leeds Community College on Thursday 4 July.

Lewis Cutler, a Chef Manager at Anchor’s West Hall care home on Parvis Road, went up against chefs from all 120 care homes run by Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit care and housing provider.

Entrants in Anchor’s prestigious Chef of the Year competition submitted a three-course recipe – starter, main course, and dessert. The judges looked at the nutritional value of the meals, use of sustainable/home grown/local ingredients, food waste and how residents were involved in choosing the menu.

The four finalists then came together to cook their recipes in a cooking competition at Leeds Community College. Among the judges on Thursday were Anchor’s Managing Director of Care Services Rob Martin, Anchor’s Director of Care Quality Cath Holmes, and Managing Director of Efoods Steve McFall.

In the end though, there could only be one winner. Lewis was crowned at the official ceremony later that day.

Anchor’s Managing Director of Care Services Rob Martin, who presented Lewis with his award, said: “Congratulations to Lewis, this year’s competition was fierce, the finalists focused on sustainability with particular attention to locally sourced fresh foods and minimising food waste, and all four finalists Lewis, Mel, James, and Michael did themselves proud. Chef of the Year for me is one of the most important moments in the year that showcases not only the quality of our chefs, but also the absolute talent we have across Anchor as a whole.”

Lewis was delighted to win, saying:
“Winning the Chef of the Year competition means a lot to me. Lots of hard work and thought went into my menu, and it’s been both a high pressure and enjoyable experience being involved in the competition. I’m very proud of challenging myself and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.”