Meet Group Executive Chef Steve Wright – NACC Care Chef of the Year Award Winner 2026.

When Group Executive Chef, Steve Wright was named Care Chef of the Year at the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Awards 2026, it was a proud moment both personally and professionally and represented far more than just winning the competition.

Something to Look Forward to Each Day

“I hope that this shows how much passion, commitment, and belief I have in the difference we can make to people's lives through food”, Steve explained. “I want to use this achievement to encourage our chefs to be ambitious, creative, and confident, while always remembering who we are cooking for and why it matters”.

It’s a statement that reflects Steve’s dedication to a career as a care caterer, a journey that began where you’d least expect it – in the British Army. Aged 15, Steve received permission from his headmaster to leave school and apply for an army apprenticeship - two years which covered education and military training as well as cooking. It was the start of a 25-year army career and nine operational tours, including postings to Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland.

After the army, Steve spent time spent in restaurants and contract catering before joining Caring Homes in 2018 as a Head Chef. He soon realised that the care industry could offer him just what he needed: the chance to make a difference to people’s lives alongside enjoying a better quality of life himself.

Steve also saw a key similarity between feeding an army and catering for residents at Caring Homes: the importance of giving those you’re cooking for something to look forward to each day.

Keen to Challenge Perceptions Around Food in Care Homes

In his role as Head Chef, and now as Group Executive Chef, Steve has always encouraged others to see that making a difference to residents’ lives is about more than simply providing nutritious meals. It means being able to “bring enjoyment, comfort, dignity, choice, and meaningful experiences to residents through food every single day”.

Steve also hopes that winning the award - and the incredibly high quality of all the finalists’ cooking - will help dispel the myth that care homes require a lower standard of catering. Instead, he believes cooking in care should be viewed as a specialist profession that needs exceptional culinary skills, nutritional knowledge, compassion, and an understanding of the individual.

Group Hospitality Manger, Ben Frizell, works closely with Steve and shared his view of Steve’s impact at Caring Homes: “Steve continually challenges the status quo and encourages our chefs to think differently about how food is prepared, presented and served. His influence has raised expectations across the group and he has helped our teams to recognise that every meal, every interaction and every detail contribute to the overall resident experience”.

Resident-Focused Food Celebrates Flavour, Seasonality and Creativity

Steve’s winning entry at the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Awards was ‘Tandoori-spiced cod with Bombay fondant potato, sautéed Indian-style spinach, crisp cauliflower bhaji beignet, curried cauliflower purée, pickled cauliflower, mango chutney and coriander oil, finished with micro coriander’.

He wanted to create a dish that would be interesting, even exciting, for residents who might be uninspired by plain cooked fish. Infusing the fish with subtle spices and surrounding it with a variety of complimentary flavours was designed to give residents a completely new dining experience, especially for whose senses needed a little extra stimulation.

The NACC judges were impressed and described Steve as the chef who ".... thought carefully about the brief, understands nutrition, produced only the amount that was required with no waste, and ultimately cooked the tastiest dishes."

Winning Dishes Part Of Caring Homes’ Chef’s Table Initiative

Both the Tandoori-spiced cod and Steve’s dessert - a raspberry mousse with vanilla cream and cocoa crumble - were dishes that originated earlier this year when Steve launched a new food-focused initiative at Caring Homes: Chef’s Table.

Chef’s Table was designed to bring residents and chefs together once a month to share a unique fine dining experience. Each home’s chef presents a special menu that demonstrates their passion and creativity, as well as their use of seasonal ingredients and where possible, incorporates ideas from the residents themselves. The chef then joins the residents for a sociable lunch where fabulous food is served in style.

Steve’s competition dishes were just some of the ideas shared with the group’s Head Chefs for the very first Chef’s Table, and they were enjoyed by residents at several care homes. Taking feedback on board, Steve then tweaked the dishes in readiness for the competition cook off.

Inspiring Chefs and Enhancing Residents’ Lives Through Food

Winning the award has only confirmed Steve’s belief in the importance of mentoring and coaching chefs across Caring Homes. He is proud to support and develop Head Chefs and their teams, sharing knowledge and helping them to recognise the positive impact they can have. “I want to strengthen the connection between food, nutrition, and wellbeing, making sure our menus support residents' nutritional needs without compromising on flavour, quality, or presentation”, Steve added.

Steve’s commitment to chef development goes far beyond formal training. He spends significant time in the care homes, working alongside chefs and kitchen teams in their own environments. Here, he takes a practical, hands-on approach to offering guidance, encouraging improvement and demonstrating what good looks like in practice.

Ben perfectly describes Steve’s proactive approach: “He consistently encourages chefs and hospitality teams to push themselves and continually reinforces the message that our residents deserve the very best, and that we should never stop looking for ways to improve their experience”.

The Future at Caring Homes

Through initiatives such as Chef’s Table, Seasonality, and Caring Homes’ weekly High Tea experience, Steve is keen to create more opportunities for residents to enjoy new flavours, revisit favourite dishes, share memories and take an active role in shaping their dining experience. He explained, “These initiatives are not simply about the food on the plate; they are about dignity, choice, conversation, independence, and creating moments that residents genuinely look forward to”.

Steve’s ambition is to continue raising standards across the group, ensuring every resident receives food that is nutritious, enjoyable, beautifully presented and, most importantly, meaningful to them as an individual.

Ben feels that Steve has already made exceptional progress and concluded, “Steve’s greatest achievement is his lasting contribution to the way residents eat and dine across Caring Homes. Equally, he continues to shape the next generation of care catering professionals, inspiring our chefs to develop their skills, challenge themselves and deliver experiences that make a genuine difference to the people in our care”.