The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) crowned the winners of the NACC Awards 2016, last night, at its annual gala dinner.
The prestigious awards spotlight the continued exceptional work undertaken by care providers and caterers, as well as the sector’s unsung heroes. Every winner exemplifies a true commitment to excellence, innovation and education, and to reaching the very highest standards of catering that meet individuals’ wellbeing needs, both nutritionally and emotionally.
This year’s inspirational winners were recognised and celebrated by their industry colleagues at the special event held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham.
The 2016 NACC Awards winners are as follows:
Meals on Wheels Award – Hertfordshire Independent Living Service
The judges were impressed by the Hertfordshire Independent Living Service, which has successfully increased in size from seven staff serving 180 people in 2007, to providing half a million meals a year to a further 6000 people today.
Our Catering Hero Award – Gareth O'Hara, Chef, Sunrise of Cardiff
This new award honours someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty to enrich the experience of those they either work with or provide a service to. Gareth’s dedication to this value is exemplary and the judges agreed with the nominating statement: 'If a chef could be cloned, it would be him.'
Catering Team of the Year Award – Morden College Catering Team
The judges praised the team at Morden College for its talent and enthusiasm, and for representing the fundamental values of care catering and continually ensuring high standards.
Care Establishment of the Year – Lymewood Court, St Helen’s, Merseyside
A 40-bed nursing home, Lymewood Court will be the first home in the North West to be awarded the coveted title of ‘Centre of Culinary Excellence’. The judges agreed that it has delivered above and beyond the prerequisites for care catering, with a commitment to high quality and resident engagement.
Catering Manager of the Year – James Clear, Hotel Services Manager, Care UK
In a hotly contested category, the judges praised Clear’s leadership and described him as an invaluable source of inspiration, constantly ensuring that the vulnerable and elderly have an exceptional catering experience.
Region of the Year Award – South East
The South East region claimed the coveted title for continuing to make the very best of the opportunities that its location provides and consistently delivering for its members and the national association.
Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award – Roger Denton
Roger Denton exemplifies true commitment to the NACC. With a background in hospitality and local authority catering, Roger has been actively involved with the association at both regional and national level.
Denton is known for bringing innovative and progressive approaches to the challenges of the day, and many initiatives introduced under his national chairmanship (1995-2001) are still going strong. These include The Community Meals Standards Document, Meals on Wheels Week, NACC Care Cook of the Year competition, and making the forerunner of the NACC Training & Development Forum a national event.
Chairman’s Award 2016 – Preston Walker, Oak House Care Home
The special gift of the NACC National Chair for exceptional commitment to the NACC was presented to Preston Walker, the director/chef at Oak House Care Home.
Walker was singled out and praised for his ongoing willingness to give his time, expertise and support, both regionally and nationally, to the NACC and its members, and often with the shortest of notice. His talent and knowledge about care catering, coupled with his passion to make a difference is inspiring and Preston has been invaluable to NACC working groups in areas such as the NVQ qualification, dysphagia and fortification.
Neel Radia, national chair of the NACC, commented, “Congratulations to all our winners. Year on year, the exceptional examples of excellence in care catering step up a level and the judges have a most difficult task selecting the overall winners.
“We are privileged to work in a sector where talented and inspirational professionals push boundaries to deliver quality catering provision that enriches the lives of those entrusted to their care. In all our finalists we see real dedication to the highest standards and I am in awe of each and every one of them. It’s an absolute honour to recognise this through the NACC Awards.”