Cooks at Bedford Hospital compete in NHS Chef of the Year
Two Bedford Hospital colleagues partnered up and showcased their skills in the regional heats at NHS Chef of the Year 2025.
The event is now in its fifth year, and is part of a wider programme which started in with the 2020 Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food.
Deputy head chef, Reneir Diolan (known as Tata) and team leader chef, Dhanoop Thomas, represented Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust.
The chefs were challenged to produce a three-course meal within a £6-£8 budget. One course was required to be completely allergen free, and one plant-based. While the main course was required to contain a minimum of 26g protein and to be served hot. Accompanying the dishes the competitors were asked to provide a breakdown of costs, evidence of nutritional value and a menu card.
Dhanoop said: “It was an incredible experience that really helped me grow my career. The competition emphasised allergen-free plant-based meals. I picked up so much knowledge about health eating and how to enhance our hospital’s food services.”
Tata added: “We are always creating exciting menus to adapt to the needs of different cultures and special dietary requirements to cater to patients, staff and visitors. It is important for me to produce nutritious food to help encourage patients to eat – food is the number one medicine which can aid in making them feel better.
“My experience at NHS Chef of the Year was a very good and it added to my knowledge on demonstrating and cultivating my cooking skills. I enjoy working under pressure in a large scale catering operation but during the competition the atmosphere was drastically different.
“It’s our first experience competing and we are looking forward to next year’s competition to make history and gain recognition for our team.”