Meallmore has won a Catey, one of the UK hospitality industry’s most prestigious awards, taking home the Health and Nutrition Award at the 2026 ceremony in London.
Often described as the ‘Oscars of hospitality’, The Cateys celebrate the sector’s strongest performers, most inspirational brands and highest achievers. The award recognises Meallmore’s work in creating a culture where chefs thrive, and where the dignity and enjoyment of residents is prioritised through their daily meals.
What the judges said
The judges praised Meallmore’s efforts to create a culinary experience that puts guests’ preferences front and centre without making sacrifices to the nutritional balance of meals, hailing the team for “always looking for that additional 1% and putting their people at the heart of everything it does, empowering it to deliver fantastic food and hospitality”.
They were also impressed with Meallmore’s consistent investment in training for its employees and the raft of benefits it delivered for the company culture and resident experience alike.
Judges said Meallmore was “standout in terms of the brilliant work it does in the Academy of Care Chef Excellence”, as well as being “a company that cares and works hard enhancing the lives of residents everyday” and “delivering a great service with passion, dedication and a smile, which resonates from the staff and residents”.
Training chefs through the Academy of Care Chef Excellence
Chefs working for Meallmore undergo training at the Academy of Care Chef Excellence, receiving enhanced education in nutrition, dietary requirements, allergen management, texture-modified diets and flavour development.
This training ensures chefs understand not just what to cook, but why it matters for residents, while also equipping them with the confidence to create meals which are nutritionally balanced alongside being enjoyable, comforting and recognisable. You can read more about how this works on our Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence page.
Alongside investing in training and development, Meallmore encourages its team of chefs to work like artists rather than operators. Chefs are empowered to adapt recipes, showcase local ingredients and incorporate seasonality into their interpretations of dishes.
Food that goes beyond best-in-class standards
Meallmore’s food offer goes above and beyond in best-in-class standards. The menus across all 27 care homes consistently surpass standards, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence benchmark score for malnutrition indicators.
Residents also have the chance to shape menus by regularly participating in tasting and feedback forums to ensure their meals correlate to their personal preferences and favourites, as well as cultural expectations. This, along with a flexible daily menu and an open and ongoing dialogue, means residents report improved appetite and greater satisfaction while eating Meallmore’s healthy, nutritious meals.
Mealtimes sit at the centre of daily life in our homes. You can see more of how residents spend their days on our Life at Meallmore page.
“This Catey belongs to all of us”
Jody Marshall, Group Hospitality Manager at Meallmore, said:
“Food and nutrition in care is about so much more than putting a meal on a plate. It is about dignity, choice, independence, health and wellbeing. It is about memories, comfort and connection. Sometimes, it is about creating one small moment in someone’s day that means absolutely everything.
“Winning a Catey is something I am hugely proud of, but what made the moment truly special was having the privilege of standing on that stage and representing the wider Meallmore family. This award belongs to the incredible people across our homes who, every single day, give so much of themselves to make a difference to the lives of the people we have the privilege to care for. This Catey belongs to all of us.”
Cillian Hennessey, CEO at Meallmore, said:
“To have our work recognised by the Cateys is an incredible honour. It is recognition of how far we have come, but it also gives us even more motivation to keep moving forward; to keep developing our people, challenging ourselves, innovating and raising the bar for what food, nutrition and hospitality in care can be. We’re not satisfied with simply making sure our residents have good food, we want to make sure they’re getting the best and most nutritious experience they can possibly get, not just in the care home sector, but across the wider hospitality sector.
“We’re thrilled to receive this award that supports our vision to be the most trusted care provider in Scotland. I’d like to say a special thank you to Jody, as well as our hospitality facilitators, Chloe Pattisson and Gordon Nunn, and, of course, all of our chefs, kitchen assistants, hospitality teams and every colleague who contributes to making mealtimes meaningful across our homes.”
About The Cateys 2026
The event, hosted by The Caterer and in partnership with Square, took place at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House and was attended by more than 1,000 of the UK’s leading hospitality professionals.
The Catey joins the other recognition our teams have received over the years, which you can browse on our Awards and Accolades page.
A shared culinary culture across our homes
The same culture recognised by the Catey judges runs through our annual Meals Means More competition, where chefs from across the group compete on flavour, nutrition, presentation and understanding of individual dietary needs. You can meet the six chefs in the 2026 final and read about the six routes into a Meallmore kitchen.
If you would like to build your career in care hospitality, our kitchen and hospitality roles and wider careers pages are the place to start.
About Meallmore
Meallmore is Scotland’s leading provider of older person and specialist care. Meallmore currently operates 27 homes across Scotland: 21 for older people, five for adults with mental health needs and one for adults with learning or physical disability. Three new homes are in development, which will provide services for elderly people in Aberdeen City, Broughty Ferry and Clarkston.
You can find your nearest home on our care homes page, or contact our team to arrange a visit and see our dining for yourself.
