Bradford College Hosts Pioneering Healthcare Chefs’ Knowledge Workshop with a Mental Health Focus

Celebrating healthcare chefs from across the North, the latest Eating The Rainbow workshop took place at Bradford College on Tuesday, February 4th, home to the City of Culture 2025. This highly anticipated event brought together healthcare food service professionals and chefs with a strong focus on mental health, diversity, inclusivity, and nutrition, shaping the newest edition of The Healthcare Chefs’ Knowledge publication.

In partnership with NHS catering experts, The Chefs’ Forum is leading a nationwide series of workshops designed to generate valuable stakeholder-led content, the second edition of The Healthcare Chefs’ Knowledge, a vital resource published last year to track progress since the NHS Hospital Food Review of 2020. These interactive sessions offer healthcare chefs an opportunity to contribute to the national conversation on sustainable, nutritious, and patient-focused hospital food.

Philip Shelley, National Lead for Food (NZC) at NHS England, said:

“The Healthcare Chefs’ Knowledge 2: Eating The Rainbow will provide invaluable insight into the latest hospital food practices, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, mental health-conscious nutrition, and the creation of nutritious menus. This edition will be another essential resource for chefs and caterers to explore, learn from, and implement in hospital kitchens. We are proud to collaborate with The Chefs’ Forum to engage our chefs and stakeholders, showcase their outstanding work, and shape the future of healthcare catering.”

This edition will highlight 100 carbon-friendly recipes tailored to support environmental sustainability and patient well-being. The Healthcare Chefs’ Knowledge 2 will also explore the role of key nutrients in mental health and recovery, offering guidance on how these can be integrated into hospital menus to enhance patient outcomes.

Sarah Foulds, Head of Facilities, Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust added:

“These workshops allow the entire NHS food value chain to come together, discuss the national net-zero strategy, and share what’s achievable in the short, medium and long term. The conversations happening in these sessions are invaluable, bringing together perspectives from NHS chefs, suppliers, and foodservice and sustainability teams to create actionable solutions. Attendees leave with practical insights they can implement in their hospitals, catering companies, or food supply chains to make NHS food more sustainable, cost-efficient, and, most importantly, beneficial to patients’ health.”

Sarah joined specialist Dieticians Idrees Anwar and Orlaith Curran and Catering Curriculum Lead, Denise Charles, in facilitating groups to communicate findings to the room.

As one of five regional workshops led by The Chefs’ Forum, the Bradford College event underscored the city’s rich culinary and cultural heritage while positioning it at the heart of NHS food innovation. Chef students at the college had the unique opportunity to contribute directly to research and recipe development, working alongside NHS chefs to cook and serve sustainable, health-focused meals.

Catherine Farinha, Publisher and Project Coordinator, reflected:

“I was honoured to deliver this crucial workshop with Philip Shelley and gain deeper insight into the systemic changes needed within large organisations like the NHS. The mental health aspect of this workshop particularly stood out, highlighting how food can play a role in emotional well-being alongside physical recovery, especially with regard to ethnicity and crafting menus with heritage and culture in mind. Collaborative efforts like these ensure that menu development aligns with both immediate patient needs and long-term improvements in NHS food services.”

Ayowala Fatoki, Head Development Chef at GMMH Trust added:

“This workshop provided a fantastic opportunity to unite chefs, catering managers, and suppliers to champion the role of nutrition in patient care and respecting diverse ethnic groups. Addressing the intersection between mental health and nutrition is essential, and these discussions reinforced the importance of inclusivity in hospital menu planning.”

The collaboration at Bradford College not only supports the NHS’s environmental and nutritional goals but also empowers the next generation of chefs to lead with healthy, sustainable menu innovation. These workshops are more than just recipe development—they are shaping the future of healthcare catering, ensuring that hospital food nurtures both body and mind.

Level 2 Professional Cookery Student, Danny Kravchenko really enjoyed cooking with Chef Michelle Robinson from Stepping Hill Hospital. Michelle, along with Chef Lecturer Janice Atack led the students in creating a beautiful selection of vibrant lunch dishes for the delegates who attended. Speaking of his experience, Danny said:

“I have really enjoyed the day today and am really looking forward to visiting Michelle at Stepping Hill. I really think that Healthcare catering could be for me, and I have learned a great deal today about the sector. Michelle told us about her career in various sectors including luxury airline catering and premiership football club hospitality.”

The Eating The Rainbow menu created on the day:

Dessert

Philip Shelley, concluded:

“This initiative brings together top talent in NHS catering, sustainability, and healthcare foodservice to create meals that meet the needs of patients and the planet. By involving colleges and students, we are not only refining the future of healthcare food but also inspiring the next generation of chefs via The Chefs’ Forum Academy at Bradford College to take the lead in sustainable, health-conscious catering. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the students to Bradford Royal Infirmary / Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport for a tour of our kitchens to show them all that a career in healthcare catering has to offer and how rewarding this sector is to work in. We’re also very excited that Bradford College students will be invited to the NHS Chef 2025 Finals, being held at The Grand in York on the 24th October.”

For more information about the upcoming book launch at Healthcare Catering Live on 9th September at the NEC, or to get involved in forthcoming Carbon and Sustainability workshops across the UK—as a Healthcare foodservice or equipment supplier, Sustainability Lead, Kitchen Manager, Dietitian, or Chef—please contact: catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Photography & film by Carlos Farinha