Two VfL Roving Chefs are hoping for glory as Care Chef of the Year 2025, having achieved places in the competition's regional stages.
Organised by the National Association of Care Catering, the competition recognises industry excellence by inviting caterers from right across the care sector. It has regional heats and a national final in October.
VfL Chefs Justina and Alex have both made a mark in past competitions: Alex made 2023's final and was awarded Highly Commended for his dessert; and Justina achieved overall third place in 2022 with a Highly Commended for her main course.
Chefs are given 90 minutes to produce a main and dessert for three people. To add to the challenge, they have a budget of just £4.50 per serving. They are judged on their dishes' taste, presentation and nutritional value.
Justina says she wanted to push the boundaries of what would usually be expected of care home catering. This year she has chosen stuffed seitan served with parsnip purée, crispy kale, banana bacon (made from marinated banana skins) and caramelised carrots, served with a special sauce. Her dessert will be caramelised banana slices served with miso caramel, chocolate cream and nutty granola.
“Seitan is a very flexible product that can have a great texture and flavour,” she explains, “and making it from scratch keeps the cost down too. Banana bacon is a playful use of what many people would usually throw away – with a little imagination it can be turned into something delicious. The dish is low wastage; using banana in the dessert and peel for the bacon, while keeping the parsnip skins on too.”
Justina adds that she wanted to create nutritious dishes that can be enjoyed by everyone. “The granola, caramel and the cream have been fortified with natural protein from nuts and seeds,” she says, “and I have used a minimal amount of added sugar, instead focusing on natural sweetness.”
Chef Alex has chosen roasted aubergine coated in pesto and topped with crispy and sticky tofu, lentils, sweet potatoes and a rich tomato and pepper sauce. For dessert, he plans a pear and walnut upside-down cake served with a fruit compote, nut brittle and custard. “I’m a big fan of tofu,” he explains. “When cooked well it has a rich flavour and a satisfying texture. Combining this with the soft creamy aubergine is a winning combination for me – I have made dishes similar to this at cookery demonstrations and they always go down well.”
Alex adds that the ingredients combine to combine nutrition with exquisite flavour. “Sweet potato has a lovely colour and sweetness, not to mention good nutritional value,” he says. “Lentils may seem like a cliché for a vegan dish, but they are high in protein and fibre, and contain a range of vitamins too. I will pull it all together with a rich tomato and pepper sauce.”
Alex says he has enjoyed the challenge of making a dessert that also achieves nutritional balance. “My cake uses lots of pear to make it naturally sweet and juicy,” he says. “I've included walnuts to add essential fats and protein too. I tested this at home several times and got the thumbs up from my partner Fay.”
Although Alex and Justina have competed in previous Care Chef of the Year competitions, they both confess to a few nerves before this prestigious event. “Once I get cooking I know I will be focused on the job and will enjoy the day,” Alex says. “Meeting the other competitors and seeing what they make is always interesting.”
Justina adds that practice makes perfect. “I have planned my dishes carefully, practiced and re-practiced each one,” she says. “All I need to do now is to repeat this on the big day. Of course, I will have few butterflies – it’s a competition – but I like the structure of the competition; 90 minutes, 2 courses, 3 portions. It will be exciting!”
We wish the best of luck to both of our chefs. Justina will be cooking on 3 July and Alex will be cooking on the 4 July.
As soon as we know how they did, we will let you know.
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