Aberdeen care home chef the best in Scotland – and now wants to scoop UK title

An Aberdeen care home chef has been crowned the best in Scotland – and is now hoping he could scoop the UK accolade for the second time.

Fairview House’s John Grover has won the regional finals of Care Chef of the Year.

Residents of the Barchester-operated home, in Danestone, are thrilled for him.

With this latest win under his belt, he will now head to London to battle it out with other chefs in the UK wide competition

Mr Grover won the title back in 2018 and wants to become the first person to secure the top award at the National Association of Care Catering’s Care Chef of the Year.

90 mins on the clock and only one winner

In order to secure his place in the national finals, the former military hospital chef had to compete against seven other regional finalists.

With 90 minutes on the clock, they were each tasked with preparing three nutritionally balanced two-course meals which were judged against seven strict criteria.

Each dish had to be balanced and have five nutrient groups present; carefully choosing dishes such as surf and turf chicken and salmon main packed full of flavour and protein.

He added an innovative cheese mousse to finish with pear chutney and vegetable crackers for additional vitamins.

Mr Grover said: “I absolutely loved taking part in the competition.  It was really nerve-wracking, but I was confident in my dishes, and I knew if I got the execution right, then I was in with a good chance.

“Happily, it went like a military operation, practice makes perfect, as they say.

“It was wonderful to be able to tell the residents I’d won, the atmosphere in the home is amazing – we’re all on such a high.”

“So proud of John”

Care home general manager Arlene Campbell said: “We are just so proud of John and all the hard work he has put into preparing and practising his dishes.

“We are all fortunate to have him as our head chef; he is a much-valued member of the fantastic team here at Fairview.”