Meallmore is celebrating a major national care catering award after Group Catering and Hospitality Manager Jody Marshall was named Catering Manager of the Year at the 2026 NACC National Awards.
The award was announced at the National Association of Care Catering's gala dinner on Thursday 15 October, held as part of its annual Training and Development Forum at Hilton at St George's Park in Burton-upon-Trent.
It was the culmination of a strong evening for Meallmore, which was represented in three national award categories:
- Meallmore Catering Team, finalist for Catering Team of the Year
- Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence, finalist for the Innovation Award
- Jody Marshall, winner of Catering Manager of the Year
For Meallmore, the significance of the result reaches much further than one trophy or one person. The three shortlist places recognised the wider culture being built across our kitchens and hospitality teams: structured development, shared learning, professional standards and a clear focus on making food and dining meaningful for residents.
National recognition from the care catering sector
The NACC National Awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations that have helped raise standards in care catering during the previous year. Nominees are put forward by their peers, with the awards celebrating not only technical expertise, but dedication, empathy, resilience and the quality of nutritional care delivered to older and vulnerable people.
NACC National Chair Neel Radia said the awards seek to recognise people who have gone “above and beyond” for those they support.
Reaching the shortlist in three categories placed Meallmore among leading care catering organisations from across the UK. The Meallmore Catering Team was recognised alongside teams from Abbey Healthcare, Bupa, Care UK, Middleton Hall Retirement Village and Signature Dining.
The Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence was shortlisted in the first year of the NACC Innovation Award, alongside projects focused on production kitchens, bereavement support, dining and nutritional care. Jody was one of six finalists for Catering Manager of the Year before being announced as the overall winner on the night.
An award with one name, built by many people
Jody's award recognises his leadership and contribution to care catering, but the work behind it is visible across Meallmore's homes every day.
It can be seen in the chefs adapting meals around residents' preferences, the kitchen assistants developing their skills, the hospitality teams creating welcoming dining spaces and the colleagues supporting residents to enjoy food safely and with dignity.
It is also reflected in the systems Meallmore has put in place to make sure development is not dependent on chance.
Clear career routes through Meallmore kitchens
The Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence gives catering colleagues a defined route from Kitchen Assistant to Chef, Second Chef and Head Chef.
Each role has clear responsibilities, with specialist learning in nutrition and catering for a care environment. Colleagues can see what their current role involves, understand what the next step requires and access support when they are ready to progress.
That structure matters because care catering is a specialist profession. Meallmore chefs prepare fresh food for people with individual preferences, changing appetites and, in some cases, complex dietary or texture requirements. The role brings together culinary skill, food safety, nutrition, creativity and a detailed understanding of the residents being supported.
The Academy was created to give that work the professional development and recognition it deserves. Its place on the inaugural Innovation Award shortlist recognised an approach that is helping Meallmore nurture talent, create clearer careers and embed consistent standards across the organisation.
Learning that happens in a real kitchen
In February 2026, Meallmore opened its first Kitchen Centre of Excellence at Hilton Court. The centre provides a practical training environment where chefs can work together on modified diets, nutrition, hydration, food safety, presentation and menu planning.
It also gives colleagues space to share ideas and learn from what is working in other homes. Rather than keeping good practice within one kitchen, the aim is to spread knowledge across regions and give more colleagues the confidence to contribute.
Hilton Court was chosen as the first centre because of its leadership, training culture and established culinary standards. The model is designed to support consistency while leaving room for chefs to respond to the residents living in their own homes.
Creating opportunities to test and share skills
Learning and development also comes to life through Meallmore's annual Meals Means More competition. The 2026 final brought together six chefs with very different career journeys.
One began as a part-time Kitchen Assistant. Another entered the industry while studying fine art and music. One had previously catered for hundreds of workers in the oil and gas sector.
The competition gave each chef the same kitchen, the same time limit and the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of flavour, presentation, nutrition and residents' individual needs.
Those different journeys show that there is no single route into a Meallmore kitchen, and that experience gained inside and outside care can contribute to a strong hospitality career. Competitions are not a substitute for everyday development, but they give colleagues a platform to apply what they have learned, receive feedback and represent their home.
What this means for residents
Awards provide welcome recognition, but the real measure of Meallmore's hospitality approach is what residents experience each day.
Food in a care home can offer comfort, familiarity and choice. It can help someone maintain a routine, celebrate their culture or continue enjoying meals they have known for years. It can also bring people together.
That is why residents are involved in menu feedback and why colleagues are encouraged to understand the person behind each dietary requirement.
Meallmore's chefs receive learning in areas including nutrition, allergens, texture-modified food and flavour development. The aim is not simply to meet a technical requirement, but to create food that remains recognisable, appealing and enjoyable.
A meal may need to be adapted, fortified or prepared to a particular texture. It should still be treated with the same care as every other plate leaving the kitchen. That combination of safety, skill and enjoyment is central to the standards recognised by the NACC.
A year of recognition for Meallmore hospitality
The NACC win follows a remarkable period of national recognition for hospitality across Meallmore.
Earlier in 2026, Meallmore won the Health and Nutrition Award at The Cateys, with judges recognising the organisation's investment in training, resident choice and the continued drive to improve food and hospitality.
Meallmore also received the Employee Engagement and Retention Award at the Scottish Excellence Awards, placing the organisation alongside leading businesses from across Scotland's hotel, restaurant and hospitality sectors.
In September, Hospitality Facilitator Chloe Pattisson was named winner of the Outstanding Achievement - Care Home Award at the Hotel Housekeeping Honours. Her success recognised the work being done to support housekeeping teams and create environments that are safe, welcoming and genuinely feel like home.
Together, these awards tell a wider story. Hospitality in care is not one department working separately from everyone else. It is part of how residents experience their home: the meal on the plate, the welcome around the table, the cleanliness and comfort of the environment, and the relationships colleagues build with residents and families.
Building a culture, not collecting trophies
National awards are worth celebrating, particularly when they come from people who understand the demands and responsibilities of care catering. But the purpose of Meallmore's hospitality programmes is not to build an awards cabinet.
It is to give colleagues the skills, confidence and opportunities to grow, while making everyday experiences better for residents.
What comes next
Winning Catering Manager of the Year is an important moment for Meallmore, but it is not the end of the work. The Academy will continue supporting catering colleagues to develop and progress. The Kitchen Centre of Excellence will continue bringing chefs together to learn and exchange ideas. Meals Means More will continue giving culinary colleagues a national-standard platform to demonstrate what care catering involves.
And across every home, residents will continue shaping menus, sharing feedback and helping colleagues understand what makes a good dining experience for them.
Three NACC finalist places showed the breadth of that work. One national win gave everyone a reason to celebrate it.
Congratulations to Jody, the Meallmore Catering Team, the Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence and every colleague helping make food and hospitality mean more across our homes.
Build a career in care hospitality
Meallmore offers development routes across catering, housekeeping and hospitality, including structured learning, mentoring and opportunities to progress. Explore the Academy of Care Kitchen Excellence or visit our careers pages to find current opportunities across Scotland.
Discover more about food, dining and everyday experiences at Life at Meallmore, or find a care home and talk to the team about arranging a visit.
