NHS Chef of the Year reveals 2026 finalists

The NHS Chef of the Year has revealed the eight teams going through to the 2026 competition’s final.

 

Five heats took place throughout this month across London, the north east, the Midlands, the south west and the north west, featuring more than 80 chefs.

 

The winner from each heat as well as the next highest three scoring teams across the country will compete during finals week at Edgbaston Cricket Ground between 5-8 October.

 

They will also be invited to a mentoring event at Cannock, near Birmingham, on 15-17 September.

 

Each team was tasked with producing a three-course meal within a budget of £6-£8. The whole menu had to be low carbon menu and allergen-free.

 

A plant-based starter had to precede a main course with a minimum of 26g protein per portion, while the dessert had to be based on 50% fruit content.

 

Phil Shelley, senior operational manager for soft FM and national lead for net-zero food at NHS England, said: “Now in its sixth year, the NHS Chef competition continues to showcase the exceptional talent, creativity and professionalism of chefs working across the NHS.

 

“The regional heats demonstrated the very highest standards of culinary skill, with competitors producing nutritious, sustainable and visually impressive dishes within the realities of an NHS budget.

 

“More than a competition, the heats celebrate the vital contribution that NHS chefs make every day to patient recovery, staff wellbeing and the overall healthcare experience. They also provide an opportunity for learning, collaboration and professional development, helping to raise standards and inspire excellence across NHS catering services nationwide.”

 

He praised each team’s managers and the competition’s suppliers and sponsor partners for their support: “This creates a positive environment, helping to celebrate all participation and personal growth for our chefs.”

 

The NHS Chef of the Year 2026 finalists

• Vivek Karimpuzhatheruvu Govindarajan and Silva Denayadura – Royal Free Hospital
• Jake Fawcett and Daniel French from Fieldhead Hospital – South West Yorkshire NHS Teaching Foundation Trust
• Anca Dregan and Iuliana Galan – Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore
• Cliff and Mitchell Waudby – Gosport Memorial Hospital
• Owen Stafford and Lauren Carter – Stepping Hill Hospital
• Dawn Roberts and Tommy Trinder – Watford General Hospital
• Shibu Soman and Rajeev Valiyaveettil – Epsom & St Helier Hospital
• Thajeevan Sivaneswaran and Dhanushka Kumarage – Guys & St Thomas’s Hospital

Last year, a team representing Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust, supported by Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport scooped the title.

 

Nedko Rusev and Joe Omolo impressed judges with dishes made with saganaki, hake with cauliflower sauce, cauliflower steak with romesco sauce and fig cake.