From left: Andy McDougall, of West Lothian College, Margaret Clarke of the National Association of Care Catering, Alan Innes and Mark Taylor, Premier Foods.
A Fife chef is one step away from being crowned the nation’s top care cook.
Alan Innes, head cook at Appin House care home in Kirkcaldy, triumphed in the Scottish heat of the care cook of the year 2013 competition to earn his place in the national finals this June.
Organised by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), the competition is one of the oldest independent recipe competitions in the UK.
It challenges competitors to devise new recipes appropriate for a care environment in the search for the nation’s best care cook.
The judges were most impressed with Alan’s menu of lemon tea salmon, Savoy bubble and squeak, sweet pickle carrots and peppers, followed by mascarpone raspberry mousse.
Open to all chefs and cooks in the care sector, the competition calls on entrants to create a delicious and nutritionally balanced two-course menu suitable for those in a care setting and meeting the set budget of £1.30 per head.
NACC deputy chairwoman Mary Wedge said: “Catering within the care sector requires very specific knowledge and skills.
“The competition gives chefs and cooks in the sector the opportunity to showcase their talents, while also pushing the boundaries.”
