Five teams of NHS chefs from England and one from Scotland took part in the 2026 HCA Chef Showcase earlier this week, during the HRC event at London’s Excel. The challenge was to cook and present a three-course meal suitable for serving to patients in a hospital, meeting certain nutritional guidelines, costing £8 or less, within just one hour. All teams received high scores from the chef judges, drawn from across the hospitality industry.
The coveted award of ‘Best in Class’ went to Kerrey Healey and Natasha Day from Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), who were also awarded Silver. Last year’s NHS Chef of the Year winners, Nedko Rusev (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust) and Joe Omolo (Stepping Hill Hospital) received a Bronze award, and the other four teams all received a Silver award.
Phil Shelley, Senior Operational Manager and National Lead for Food at NHS England says: “The HCA Chef Showcase continues to shine a light on our chefs, their skills and knowledge of cost control, balanced menus and innovation.”
A further, additional award was presented to Stepping Hill Hospital. The ‘Causeway Award’ was made in memory of past winner, Darren Taggart from Northern Ireland, and recognised the Dish of the Day.
Best in Class
Kerrey Healey and Natasha Day started taking part in NHS chef competitions in 2022. Kerrey described this year’s event as “a valuable and rewarding experience that helped build our skills and knowledge, despite being nerve-racking.”
Natasha adds: “Coming back to the competition and teaming up with Kerrey again has been so special. Winning Silver and Best in Class is an amazing feeling, and I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved as a team.”
Their menu – a beautifully crafted cauliflower steak, blackened miso cod and a rich sticky toffee pudding, demonstrated technical skill, innovation and pride in what they do as chefs.
Jo Fitzgerald, Deputy General Manager Hotel Services at NHFT, says: “This success not only reflects the hard work of the team, but also showcases what an incredible Trust we are at NHFT. It highlights the quality, innovation and care that sits at the heart of our hotel services and the vital role our teams play in supporting patient experience every single day.
“I am especially proud of how far the team has come since 2022. Their confidence, creativity and ambition have grown year on year, and this recognition shows just how much they continue to develop and push boundaries.”
Jo is herself a shortlisted finalist for Leader of the Year in both the Hospital Caterers Association and HEFMA’s 2026 national awards.
