News / 26.06.2025

Bringing Award-Winning Flavour to NHS Dining

Bringing Award-Winning Flavour to NHS Dining: Medirest's Champion Dish Hits Steamplicity Menus

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At Medirest we’re redefining hospital food.

Wherever they are, patients deserve meals which are comforting, full of flavour and made with real care. Created by our talented Medirest chefs Manuela Miccoli and Alejandro Bedoya Hernandez, the award-winning Hake with Gnocchi in a Tomato Sauce celebrates those values and our commitment to patient experience.

The culinary success of our chefs at the 2024 NHS Chef of the Year competition captured national attention and highlighted a fantastic opportunity for healthcare catering. Thanks to our collaboration with Cuisine Centre and their innovative Steamplicity meals, the winning dish is now being served to patients across 24 NHS Trusts.

Our Medirest chefs and dietitians worked closely alongside Cuisine Centre’s product development experts to recreate the winning dish at scale without compromising on taste. The authenticity and quality of the original dish was incredibly important to us, and each component was meticulously recreated to ensure patients enjoy the same delicious experience as the judges.

This partnership demonstrates what’s possible when innovation, collaboration, and culinary expertise come together.

Medirest have been committed to the NHS England NHS Chef of the Year competition since it’s inception in 2020, supporting the programme with experienced culinary mentors, and encouraging our own chef teams to challenge their skills and enter the competition. At Medirest we fully support the aims of the competition, to invest in chefs and catering staff and raise standards across our national health service.

Ultimately, the most important feedback comes from our patients, and their response to the dish has been overwhelmingly positive. Flavourful, fresh, and comforting, this award-winning dish is testament to the care and commitment behind every meal we serve.

Watch the video above to see the journey from competition to patient plate and meet the passionate people behind this NHS dining success.