Yesterday (November 3), at the Old Cooking School in Warminster, Erica Bell and Shelley Pearson-Smith from Stepping Hill Hospital (Stockport NHS Foundation Trust) won the NHS Chef 2022 competition.
This year’s final challenged the three finalists to create and deliver four dishes, comprising a starter and dessert, and two main courses – one of which should be a lower carbon choice – in four hours.
The winning menu comprised:
Watercress Soup with Poached Egg, Garlic Oil and Homemade Croutons
Braised Ox Cheek, Celeriac Fondant, Roasted Carrot and Seasonal Greens
Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle with a Lemon Parsley Crumb
Chocolate Fondant Pudding with Chantilly Cream, Chocolate Crumb and a Salted Caramel Sauce.
Announcing the results, the judges described Erica and Shelley’s braised ox cheek main course as “sensational.” Determined to impress, the pair also made their own bread for the croutons and their own pasta for the tagliatelle.
Although there can only be one winner, all of the teams that took part in NHS Chef 2022, and particularly those that progressed to the finals, should be very proud of their achievements. This is a complex competition, that sets various challenges for the chefs both during the regional heats and the national final. It takes place over several days rather than being a single cook-off event and therefore requires chefs to demonstrate a wider variety of skills, knowledge and innovation. It also involves a comprehensive mentoring programme, designed to develop the skills of chefs further through presentations, demonstrations, and the allocation of a dedicated, experienced industry mentor to work on a one-to-one basis with each team.
The Sodexho at Wye Valley NHS Trust team of Les Beare and Josh Banner finished in second place, also scooping the Plant-based winner on the day with their main course choice of Baingan Bharta Smoky Aubergine with Indian Spices, served with Lemon Rice.
Jim Richardson and Joe Hennigan of Solent NHS Trust finished in third place. Their stand-out dish of the day was their dessert of Apple Crumble Cheesecake.
Five other teams made it to the elimination stages of the national final. They were:
Dylan Lucas and Kurt Dillon, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Nedko Rusev, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Danielle Collins and Joao Ferreira, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Kerrey Healey and Natasha Day, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Connor Gutsell and Harry Sandy, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
