Hospital chefs are the best in the East!

25th October, 2001

Two chefs from the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust have won a competition to find the best hospital caterers in the East of England.

Brian Carman and Rob Barnes won the regional heat of the Hospital Caterer’s Competition at the West Anglia College in King’s Lynn on Wednesday 24^th October.  They now go through to the national finals, which will be held at the Hotelympia in Earls Court next February.

Hotelympia is the showcase exhibition for the catering industry, and the competition has been launched to raise the profile of hospital chefs.

The winning meal cooked by Brian and Rob was tuna nicoise - fresh pan-fried tuna with a salad of anchovies, olives, green beans, eggs and potatoes, glazed with a mustard, lime and olive oil dressing.  Coffee and vanilla pannacotta, garnished with strawberries and mint, was then served for dessert.

“Big congratulations are due to Brian and Rob for winning through to the finals,” said Riva Knight, Catering Services Manager.  “The standard of food at the West Suffolk Hospital has always been good, and the competition was held to raise awareness of the active skills of chefs working in the NHS.”

“Brian, Rob and their colleagues in the catering department are successful in providing tasty, nutritious meals on a limited budget.  I am pleased that their achievement in this competition recognises the efforts they and the whole team make on a daily basis to ensure that all of our patients receive nutritious food that is good to eat.”

The two chefs have each won a cup, plaque and embroidered chef’s jacket. Their success in the Hotel Caterer’s Competition means that they have now been entered in the Meat & Livestock Commissions’s Meat Chef of the Year competition, which carries a top prize of £2,500.