Phil Shelley wins Lifetime Achievement honour at Public Sector Catering Awards

Phil Shelley wins Lifetime Achievement honour at Public Sector Catering Awards

25/04/2025 10:33:38
The 2025 Public Sector Catering Awards, which took place on 24th April at the London Hilton Metropole, recognised 19 award winners including Phil Shelley who won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to the hospital catering industry.

The 2025 Public Sector Catering Awards, which took place on 24th April at the London Hilton Metropole, recognised 19 award winners including Phil Shelley who won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to the hospital catering industry.

Phil’s energy, enthusiasm, drive and readiness to embrace new ideas have been the hallmarks of a very successful career. A close colleague describes the impact Phil has had as ‘giving NHS chefs the chance to shine, and proudly show the world what they can do’.

A past chair of the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA), he was asked by the Government in 2019 to chair a Hospital Food Review and later joined NHS England to try to help trusts implement the recommendations of the review.

Since then he has helped set up the NHS Chef Competition in England, the NHS Chefs Academy and also championed the cause of improving food for children in hospital, along with their parents and carers.

Yeovil District Hospital were double winners after Simply Serve Ltd won the Hospital Catering Award and Mathieu Eke emerged victorious in the Special Contribution Award.

Joanne Fitzgerald from Northamptonshire Health Care Trust secured the Catering Manager of the Year accolade for demonstrating unwavering commitment, resilience and a drive to inspire those around her.

The full list of winners:

  • Armed Forces Caterer of the Year Award (sponsored by Ecolog): Petty Officer Joe Whitlock
  • Care Catering Award (sponsored by Cereal Partners): Care UK
  • Catering College Award (sponsored by AroundNoon): Eastleigh College
  • Catering Manager of the Year Award (sponsored by Rational): Joanne Fitzgerald - Northamptonshire Health Care Trust
  • Chef of the Year Award (sponsored by Unox): Matt Lord – ESS
  • Contract Caterer of the Year Award (sponsored by Lockhart Catering Equipment): Dolce
  • Education Catering Award (sponsored by Premier Foods): Nourish Contract Catering Ltd
  • Health and Nutrition Award (sponsored by Bidfood): Shire Services
  • Hospital Catering Award (sponsored by Hobart Service): Simply Serve Ltd - Yeovil District Hospital
  • Innovation Award (sponsored by Carlsberg Britvic): Reboot Café, Queen’s University Belfast
  • Marketing Award (sponsored by Wafflemeister): Shire Services
  • Prison Catering Award (sponsored by Winterhalter): Morag Hopkins & HMP Haverigg Catering Team
  • Special Contribution Award (sponsored by Middleton Foods): Mathieu Eke - Simply Serve Ltd
  • Sustainability Award (sponsored by Panasonic): Argyll and Bute Council
  • Team of the Year Award (sponsored by Essential Cuisine): Health & Independent Living Support (HILS)
  • Training and Apprenticeship Award (sponsored by Brakes): Forward with Marcus Wareing Training Programme
  • University Catering Award (sponsored by TUCO Foundation): University of Southampton Catering Department
  • Unsung Hero Award (sponsored by Nisbets): Kirsty Rafferty – Sodexo
  • Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions): Philip Shelley

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