Five teams of NHS hospital chefs have made it through to the final week of the NHS Chef 2023 competition. The grand final will be held on Thursday next week (November 3). Prior to that, two further teams will be eliminated, leaving the remaining three teams to compete for the title of NHS Chef team of the year.
The final week will begin with a challenge designed to test the Specialist Knowledge of chefs. Teams will need to create a menu suitable for allergens and produce three separate items, serving three portions of each. The second challenge of the day will be to produce a two-course meal suitable for NHS staff, keeping in mind the need to provide a 24/7 solution and considering affordability for staff on lower pay bands.
On the following day, four teams will be tasked to demonstrate innovation in their dishes. They will need to produce three snacks suitable for morning and afternoon, providing three portions of three different items which must contain between 150 and 350 calories. The light options challenge wants to see chefs considering how service and crockery can make a difference. They will need to produce three light options that could be an addition to supper menus, giving consideration to nutritional composition, and provide three portions of three different items.
In the grand final, the remaining three teams must create and produce a three-course menu for lunch or supper, including two main courses, one of which should be a lower carbon choice, as well as a starter and a dessert. Additional thought should be given to allergens and lifestyle dietary needs. Three portions of each choice must be served and chefs will be expected to demonstrate a wide range of skills.
The five finalists are:
East Lancashire NHS Foundation Trust
Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust
Solent NHS Trust
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
West Suffolk NHS Trust
Wye Valley NHS Trust
Good luck to all the teams next week.
