High standards in catering at Stepping Hill Hospital have been recognised by its team and manager being shortlisted for national awards saluting the best in hospital catering.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s catering team are finalists in the ‘Catering Team of the Year’ category of this year’s Hospital Caterers Association Awards, and their support services manager Erica Bell is up for the individual title of ‘Caterer of the Year’ in the same awards.

The hospital’s catering team has 114 members of staff from around 13 different nationalities, each one playing their part in making and delivering high quality food for both inpatients on the wards, and for staff, visitors and outpatients in the restaurant. Their aim is no make patients feel like they are not eating what would be traditionally thought of as “hospital food”, but good quality food that might be found in a home kitchen or in a good restaurant. 

The team takes pride in every step of the process, from ordering high quality fresh ingredients that are receipted each day, to prepping appetising meals, making sure the food is well presented, and that the food is made in a sustainable way.

As well as keeping to high nutritional standards, the team pride themselves on their diversity, with food and recipes from around the world, and with special menus developed for theme days including religious, cultural, and other celebrations, and amongst other previous awards have been marked as an ‘exemplar site’ by NHS England for other catering teams to follow.

Erica Bell became catering manager for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust in 2024, having previously been a senior chef with the team who win the national of title of ‘NHS Chef of the Year’ in 2022 together with her colleague Shelley Pearson-Smith.

Erica has gone on to make many improvements in the team, including improving the range of both patient and staff menus. She is a manager who is keen to create a supportive environment for all her colleagues, helping them to empowered to be able to work under their own initiative and work through issues and find solutions.

With a diverse team including several colleagues with learning disabilities, she has helped to promote an inclusive team giving everyone the support which fits their needs.

Stockport NHS Head of Facilities Steve Whitehead said: “We’re immensely proud of our catering team, and their manager Erica, for their ongoing commitment in providing the very best standards in hospital catering.  It’s great to see this hard work and commitment being recognised with their shortlisting in this year’s Hospital Caterers Association Awards, and I wish them all the best of luck for the ceremony.”

Winners will be announced at the President`s Gala and awards dinner on Tuesday 1st April 2025.