What’s Cooking? Behind the Scenes with Chef of the Year Contestant, Richard Hopplestone

Richard Hopplestone, Head Cook at Eckington Court, in Derbyshire, was a Finalist in the second annual Chef of the Year competition, in partnership with Nestlé Professional, and held at The Manchester College Training Kitchen. Richard has worked at Eckington Court for just four months, and has an extensive background in catering, including previous work in a care home, as well as for a large catering company. Richard is an eager learner and has come on in strides to perfect his craft, with his specialties being hearty, protein-heavy dishes. He says, “Many residents prefer the more traditional foods, but I always try and put my own spin on it, and am quite good at encouraging them to try new things. My most popular dish has to be my minted lamb stew which is full of flavour and really nutrient dense.” The four finalists of the Orchard Care Homes competition prepared and presented a two-course menu in a timed and controlled environment to a panel of judges, including Nestlé Professional Business Development Chef, Justin Clarke. Richard presented a baked ciabatta with Maggi Rich and Rustic tomato sauce, followed by a traditional lasagne. All ingredients needed to be readily available to the home, and the dishes was to fall within the home’s normal catering budget. For the main course, finalists had to present one dish as standard, and one using the same ingredients, but tailored to those on a Texture C modified diet, common among residents who have difficulty swallowing.  Dianne Lilley, Food and Beverage Manager at Orchard care Homes commented, “Richard certainly showed an impressive range of skills, particular in his preparation of the Texture C modified dish, in which he piped the different layers of lasagne on top of one another.” Richard added, “It has been great to be involved in the competition and represent the home where I am a relative ‘newbie’. I am looking forward to entering again next year and already thinking about how I can improve on my recipes.” To keep up to date with news from Orchard Care Homes, follow us on Facebook and YouTube.