A mixed team of chefs from two different Trusts won the 2025 NHS Chef of the Year competition. Nedko Rusev from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Joe Omolo from Stepping Hill Hospital paired up when their original partners (Scott Ferguson and Ian Richards) had to withdraw from the competition before finals week for personal reasons.
The NHS Chef of the Year competition, now in its fifth year, is a flagship initiative by NHS England to celebrate and elevate the role of catering professionals in healthcare. It promotes innovation in hospital food, sustainability and nutrition, while showcasing career opportunities in NHS catering. The competition aligns with the goals of the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food to improve patient care through better nutrition. As part of the process, each team is mentored by an experienced industry professional and attends a three-day mentoring event. The winning pair were mentored by Stuart Finn of Bidfood.
In 2024, Alejandro Hernandez and Manuela Miccoli from Royal Surrey County Hospital won with a menu blending Asian and Italian influences. Their winning dish was later adapted for NHS menus, demonstrating the competition’s real-world impact.
Outstanding competition
Phil Shelley, NHS England Senior Operational Manager and National Lead for Food, says the 2025 event was outstanding. “The quality of the dishes continues to improve each year, with development and growth of the chefs becoming key throughout. The relationships with the mentors goes from strength to strength, providing confidence in recipe development and knowledge around balance of meal choices,” Phil says.
The finals week was held at The Grand Hotel in York and this year included an evening of celebration at which keynote speeches were delivered by Fiona Daly, National Deputy Director of Estates for NHS England and Sharon Hodgson, Member of Parliament for Washington and Gateshead South.
Christoffer Dopico Alles and Angelika Purtak from Southampton Hospital came second, whilst Sosana Suk Han Chan and Amanda Barber from Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust (Prestwich) finished in third place. As well as winning the overall competition, Nedko Rusev and Joe Omolo were also the Plant-Based winners.
Finalists
Eight pairs of chefs earned their place in the final through their skill and creativity:
• Joanne Downs & Karolina Morawiec – Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust (North View), mentored by Ben Ross from UNOX
• Nedko Rusev & Scott Ferguson – Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• Christoffer Dopico Alles & Angelika Purtak – Southampton Hospital, mentored by Leanne Turk from Foodbuy
• Eddie Makuwaza & Akhil Antony – University Hospitals of Leicester, mentored by Wayne Harris from NH Case
• Chloe Millis-Poole & Martin Spray – Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, mentored by Simon Price from ISS
• Ian Richards & Joe Omolo – Stepping Hill Hospital
• Sosana Suk Han Chan & Amanda Barber – Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust (Prestwich), mentored by Martin Wright from Medirest
• Razwanah Ansari & Josephine Oboh – Harefield Hospitals, mentored by Rodney Lankester from Rational.
