Glasgow chef cooks up a storm in national competition

Company news

Oct 24, 2017

Wellmeadow Lodge is celebrating after it was announced that a team member has reached the final round of a Chef of the Year competition. 

Anna Chwalek, second chef at Wellmeadow Lodge, competed against the culinary talents of chefs from around the country to be in with a chance of winning the coveted title in Care UK’s national competition.

To secure her place as a finalist, Anna was challenged to prepare a two-course lunch in 90 minutes, ensuring that the menu would appeal to residents and stayed within the budget set by the judges.

For the first course, Anna cooked up Greek-style baked chicken strips which she served with a barley and red cabbage salad. For desert, Anna served her signature dish known as ‘Velvet Forest Moss’. The meal was then presented to a panel of four judges, which included two residents, who scored each dish based on the presentation, nutrition, use of products, taste and texture.

After being named one of four finalists, Anna said: “I’m thrilled to have made it to the final round of this national competition. The level of skill and creativity from the other chefs was really high, but I was confident that my cooking would be received well by the judges, as they are dishes that the residents at Wellmeadow Lodge always look forward to.

“I love to play around with flavors from around the globe and try out combinations that many of the residents enjoy sampling. The final round will present a great opportunity to try out some new recipes, some of which we’ll hopefully add to the menu at Wellmeadow Lodge.”

Catherine Brannan, home manager at Wellmeadow Lodge, added: “The Chef of the Year competition is a brilliant opportunity for the chefs at Care UK to show case their skills and expertise. Everyone here at the home is thrilled that Anna’s talent for creating meals that both look and taste delicious has been recognised, and we all have our fingers crossed that she will be just as successful in the final heat.”