Birchwood Grange Takes the Double at the Vegetarian for Life Awards
This year marks the sixth Vegetarian for Life Awards for Excellence in Care Catering, and the team at Birchwood Grange Care Home, Harrow, stole the show! With more vegans and vegetarians moving into residential care every year, this annual award recognises those pioneering the way in modern care catering.
Champa Misty, Vegetarian Chef at the home, won the coveted Vegetarian Care Chef of the Year award. Announced by television and radio presenter, property expert, and writer Jasmine Harman, she said, “Our winner is really going the extra mile to make their vegan and veggie residents excited about dinner time. Champa leads a small team serving up delights in an Asian veg kitchen for over 70 residents. She leads with a smile, a love for cooking and an abundance of positivity. Champa actively encourages vegetarian choices and provides hands-on support. Throughout the challenges of the pandemic, Champa and her team have shown positivity and a can-do attitude to make the meals and service as beautiful, authentic and flavoursome as possible.”
Delighted with her recognition, Champa commented, “Many of my traditional recipes have been passed down through generations of my family. I love to cook them for our residents, and I am thrilled that they are being rewarded in this way.”
The Birchwood Grange culinary team were also awarded The Beulah Charity Trust Special Recognition Award to top off the day. The award goes to a special someone (or team) who strives to make the UK better for older vegans and vegetarians.
Led by Head Chef Champa and Kitchen Manager Juan Lopez, the Birchwood Grange team daily provides traditional international dishes. They have a real passion for food, actively encourage vegetarian choices and support their teams with a hands-on approach.
Announced by comedian, actor, writer and film producer Dave Spikey, Dave said, “This year’s winner has strived to make its care establishment a better place for vegan and vegetarians. The winner caters to the Indian / Asian community and boasts one of only a handful of vegetarian care kitchens in the country. For 23 years, its head chef has taken great pride in producing Gujarati cuisine, assisted by three valuable team members. Local produce and spices from local markets are just one brilliant aspect of their work, involving the local community as much as they can. The residents are also involved in food preparation, just as they would be in their own homes. A huge congratulation to this year’s winner.”
Avery Healthcare’s Head of Culinary and Hospitality, Simon Lawrence, was on the edge of his seat, watching the virtual award ceremony from his own kitchen table and was delighted with the result. “It is incredible for the Birchwood Grange team and Champa to have won two awards this afternoon, and not for the first year either! The passion and attention to detail that the team put into their diverse dishes to accommodate our residents so that they don’t have to give up their life choices because they have moved into care is astounding.
To view the virtual awards ceremony in full, please follow this week: https://youtu.be/iXp9gksw6f8
