Aria Care Celebrates Second Chef of the Year Competition
Aria Care held its highly anticipated Chef of the Year competition, bringing together six talented chefs from across Aria Care homes to battle head-to-head for the prestigious title. Hosted by Brakes, the event highlighted the remarkable culinary skills and passion of the chefs who work daily to provide nutritious and enjoyable meals to their residents.
The finalists included:
• Roddy Mackinnon – Scoonie House
• Michelle Chamberlain – Miranda House
• Adriano DI Crescenzio – Abbeycrest
• Albin Das – Hamilton Nursing Home
• Simon Boyden – Knowle Park
• Jonny Hollis – Riverside Place
The judging panel, featuring industry experts including Aria Care’s CEO Caroline Roberts, Hospitality Director James Clear, Executive Chef of Brakes Danny Silcock, and Rob Henry, Executive Chef of EF-Group, evaluated the chefs’ work against this year’s challenge: to create a two-course meal and an IDDSI Level 4 version of the same meal within 2.5 hours.
Michelle Chamberlain, Head Chef at Miranda House in Royal Wootton Bassett, was named this year’s Chef of the Year for her outstanding dish: salted black pepper pork loin, a beetroot and spinach stack with a blue cheese crisp, and poached pears with a dark chocolate, blackberry, and Chambord sauce.
Michelle said, “It was an absolute honour to be crowned Chef of the Year 2024. The standard of food produced from the other talented chefs was outstanding. It is great to hold events like this to showcase the high standards that we produce in our care homes. I am so proud to have played a part in this, and to inspire up and coming chefs into the business, and for them to be proud that they are a care home chef.”
Commenting on the event, Aria Care’s Hospitality Director James Clear said, “The standard of dishes presented this year was exceptionally high, making it a very challenging task for the judges. We not only considered taste and presentation but also evaluated working practices and skillsets.”
“We are extremely proud of everyone who participated. This competition underscores the dedication and passion of our chefs in creating delicious and nutritious meals for our residents. Our ‘Hospitality from the Heart’ framework aims to elevate the resident dining experience, emphasising resident-centred nutrition and hydration. By investing in fresh local supply chains, providing high-quality equipment, and offering comprehensive training, we ensure our chefs have everything they need to deliver exceptional, nutritious meals daily.”
