His menu of Bisto slow braised Ox cheek, and Country Range lemon and ginger tart, won him the top spot after a live-cook off between the five finalists yesterday (19 September 2019).
He said: “My passion is to serve a balanced menu that provokes nostalgia amongst residents and means they enjoy their dining experience every day. At the care home we strive to make meal times a relaxed, memorable and engaging occasion that in turn promotes good nutrition.
“It’s important to offer residents flavours that they may not have tried before, incorporating new trends, styles and cooking techniques into the dish, and those who partook demonstrated exactly this.
“The care sector is in fact one of the most rewarding industries to work in and I want to say a massive congratulations to all the talented chefs in the final, it is an honour to have been crowned the winner.”
Held at Premier Foods’ head office in St Albans, the showdown saw the finalists prepare and cook three portions of their main meal and dessert dish bespoke recipes within 90 minutes.
Each caterer was asked to include a Bisto product within their main dish and a Country Range product in their dessert, with the total budget for the two dishes not to exceed £2.25.
The judges – Louise Wagstaffe, culinary advisor at Premier Foods and Emma Holden, group marketing manager for the Country Range Group, had the tough decision of choosing one overall winner from the outstanding finalists’ dishes.
Sarah Robb, channel marketing manager at Premier Foods, added: “The final was an incredible day; the standard of dishes was impeccable and the contestants really thought outside of the box when it came to their menus, from the preparation to the final presentation.
“The detail that went into each dish was impressive, the contestants were asked to consider a lot of factors, from the cost of ingredients, to the final texture and taste. I want to say a huge thank you and congratulations to all those who took part and attended; you really did the care catering industry proud.
“Finally, a massive well done to Kevin whose delicious menu landed him the accolade of Bisto Care Caterer of the Year, in association with Country Range.”
Country Range judge, Emma Holden, said: “I can’t believe another year of the competition is over, it’s a great event in our calendar and a celebration which is really important to the team at the Country Range Group.
“The competition highlights the importance of shining a light on the care catering industry and the incredible work which they do. Mealtimes are a really key part of resident’s days within care homes and producing a menu which isn’t too time consuming, adheres to budget constraints and is an appropriate taste and texture, can be a real challenge.
“The contestants we saw today took that challenge head on and the final dishes were outstanding. I want to say a massive thank you to all those who entered, attended and a huge well done to our winner, Kevin.”