Meallmore Chefs Shortlisted at 2026 Craft Guild Awards

Meallmore is proud to celebrate another significant moment in its growing awards journey, with two colleagues shortlisted at the 2026 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards.

Anna Koziarska of Auchtercrag Care Home has been shortlisted in the Competition Chef Award category, while Chloe Pattisson of Meallmore has been shortlisted for the Culinary Hero Award. The awards are among the most respected in the UK chef industry and will take place on Wednesday 10 June 2026 at the Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge.

For Meallmore, this latest recognition is about more than individual success. It reflects the organisation’s continued investment in hospitality, nutrition, colleague development and the role that food plays in creating great places to live and work.

National recognition beyond the care sector

What makes these shortlists particularly special is the scale and reputation of the awards themselves.

The Craft Guild of Chefs Awards are often described as the “chefs’ Oscars”, celebrating exceptional culinary talent from across the whole of the UK chef industry, from hospitality and restaurants to education, catering and specialist sectors.

For a care provider to be recognised on this stage is a strong statement in itself. It reinforces Meallmore’s belief that care catering and hospitality deserve to be viewed through the same lens of excellence, creativity and professionalism as any other part of the food industry.

At Meallmore, food is never treated as an afterthought. It is a key part of daily life, dignity, independence and enjoyment for residents, and an important part of how colleagues create welcoming, person-centred homes.

Celebrating Anna’s culinary excellence

Anna Koziarska’s shortlist recognition comes on the back of a remarkable period of success.

Anna, Head Chef at Auchtercrag Care Home in Ellon, was previously crowned Scotland’s Care Chef of the Year for the second year running in the regional heats of the National Association of Care Catering competition. Her journey with Meallmore is also a powerful example of internal progression, having started as a kitchen assistant before developing into a highly respected leader in the kitchen.

Her latest shortlist place in the Competition Chef Award category places her alongside chefs from far beyond the care sector, further underlining the standard of talent being developed and supported within Meallmore homes.

Anna’s success reflects Meallmore’s commitment to creating opportunities for colleagues to grow, learn and excel, while continually raising the profile of care catering in Scotland.

Chloe recognised as a culinary leader

Chloe Pattisson’s shortlist in the Culinary Hero Award category is equally significant.

Chloe was recognised not simply as an excellent chef, but as someone who has “changed the way the company thinks about food, hydration, dignity and leadership across care homes.”

That is a powerful endorsement, and one that reflects the wider impact Chloe has had across Meallmore.

Her work has helped shape standards far beyond one kitchen or one home. It speaks to a broader philosophy within Meallmore that hospitality in care is about much more than meals alone. It is about supporting wellbeing, making mealtimes meaningful, ensuring hydration and dignity are prioritised, and helping colleagues feel confident and inspired in their own development.

Recognition of this kind demonstrates the value of leadership within care hospitality and shows how innovation and excellence in care settings can influence the wider sector.

Hospitality at the heart of Meallmore

These latest shortlistings sit within a much wider story for Meallmore.

Across Scotland, Meallmore has continued to gain recognition for its approach to care, hospitality and colleague development. The organisation has been recognised as a Top 20 Large Care Home Group by carehome.co.uk, has recently won at the Scottish Excellence Awards, and has built a growing reputation for outstanding catering and hospitality standards.

Meallmore’s Academy of Kitchen Care Excellence has played a major role in this, helping chefs and hospitality teams build specialist skills in nutrition, hydration, presentation and dignity-led dining. Internal progression, leadership development and recognition programmes have also helped strengthen career pathways for colleagues across hospitality, housekeeping and catering.

Together, these initiatives have helped create a culture where hospitality is embedded into the wider care experience.

Because at Meallmore, mealtimes are not simply a routine task. They are moments of comfort, connection, conversation and enjoyment. They are part of what makes a home feel like home.

Great places to live and work

Meallmore’s vision is to be Scotland’s most trusted care provider, consistently delivering excellent care in great places to live and work.

The shortlisting of both Anna and Chloe brings that vision to life in a very tangible way.

For residents, it reflects the quality, thought and care that goes into everyday life within Meallmore homes.

For colleagues, it reflects the opportunities that exist to develop meaningful careers, grow in confidence and be recognised for excellence on a national stage.

For families, it is further reassurance that Meallmore continues to invest in the details that matter most - including the dining experience, nutritional care and the wider hospitality culture that supports residents’ quality of life every day.

Looking ahead to June

With the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2026 set to take place in June, everyone across Meallmore will be cheering Anna and Chloe on.

Whatever the outcome on the night, their shortlisting alone is a significant achievement and another proud moment for the organisation.

It is also a reminder that exceptional talent exists right across the care sector - and that when colleagues are supported, developed and trusted to lead, the results speak for themselves.

A huge congratulations to both Anna and Chloe on this well-deserved national recognition.