Adrian Silaghi

Adrian began working in the catering industry in 2010 and first joined Nellsar as Head Chef for Princess Christian Care Home in 2015. Now as Head of Catering Services, Adrian leads by example and shares his passion for care catering across our 13 Homes. Adrian cites empathy as one of the most important qualities to have to be a successful Chef in the care industry, and his creativity and drive make him a very inspiring leader. Adrian constantly strives to raise the standards of Nellsar’s catering provision including what we offer residents with special dietary requirements, and he is renowned for his skills in soft and puréed food presentation.

Alex Popa-Barth

Alex Popa-Barth joined the Abbotsleigh team in 2017; first as a Healthcare Assistant, progressing to Kitchen Assistant shortly after. With a passion for catering and the drive to develop his knowledge and skills, Alex was soon promoted to Head Chef. Striving to make a positive difference to the lives of Abbotsleigh residents through cooking, Alex listens to their preferences and incorporates them into the menus. Alex leads his Kitchen Team by example, always supporting and encouraging them to put forward their ideas. The quality of food presentation and service is extremely important to Alex and he was very proud to be shortlisted in the 2020 Great British Care Awards.

Sanoj George

Appointed Head Chef in March 2021, Chef Sanoj first joined Bromley Park in September 2018. A superb Chef with an individualised style, Chef Sanoj creates broad menus and nourishing meals for his residents. Chef Sanoj specialises in hot and cold Continental, Oriental and Asian cuisine, including healthier options. Chef Sanoj has over 15 years’ extensive industry experience and is very driven. Progressive in his work, Chef Sanoj consistently supports and develops his team. With incredible attention to detail, he and the Kitchen Team go above and beyond, always striving to develop the catering standards and food service for their residents.

Kay Smith

Kay joined the team at Hengist Field Care Home in 2011 and her journey is one of real inspiration. Beginning as a Care Assistant, Kay progressed to a Senior Carer and then Kitchen Assistant; after two years’ training she became the Head Chef and Kitchen Manager in 2018. Working alongside Adrian Silaghi, Kay is concentrating on developing her staff in order to maintain their superior catering provision. Passionate about developing menus tailored to suit her residents’ clinical needs and personal likes and dislikes, Kay also loves to enhance their dining experience – whether that be with calm, social dining or eating alone in the privacy of their own room.

Miguel Silva

Originally from Portugal, Miguel came to the UK in 2016 and began working at Hengist Field as a Kitchen Assistant in 2019. As part of our continual staff development programme, Miguel embarked on a Nellsar Chef apprenticeship; under the tutorage of Head Chef Kay Smith, Miguel looks forward to qualifying and working as a main Chef for the Home. With a calm personality, Miguel is very reliable and offers great all-round support to the Kitchen team. Head Chef Kay encourages and supervises Miguel to cook for a minimum of one day per week, and he recently trained in Kitchen admin to help with internal operations and ordering from suppliers.

Glen Perryman

Glen Perryman is one of our longest serving members of staff and joined the team at Loose Valley in 1995. As Head Chef, his dedication to a superior catering provision makes him an excellent role model and a wonderful Chef. Very popular among his colleagues, Glen leads a strong Kitchen Team, and every resident speaks very highly of him. He is famed for his delicious homemade meals and tempting dessert trolley, making yummy treats from trifles to cherry cheesecakes. Glen is always very happy to cook all special requests for his residents.

Daniel Popescu

Chef Daniel joined the Kitchen Team at Princess Christian in 2015 as a Kitchen Assistant. With his passion for food and cooking, and a willingness to learn, he was promoted to the position of Chef. Daniel really enjoys his role and feels proud to wear his uniform. Chef Daniel has excellent communication skills which he uses with his residents and their families; he strives to personalise his high-quality food service to suit everyone’s needs.

Cristian Pitic

Since joining the Princess Christian Kitchen Team in 2018 as a Kitchen Porter with no previous catering experience, Cristian achieved a Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health and was promoted to Kitchen Assistant. After progressing to Chef Assistant, Cristian enrolled on a Production Chef NVQ course in 2019 and became a qualified Chef in March 2021. A keen gym-goer, Cristian is very disciplined and driven; his ambition to develop his skills and his perfectionist nature make him an outstanding team member. Cristian is a great support to Head Chef Cosmin Cristea and he works on residents’ individual menu plans, along with our Dining Room Assistants.

Daloney Carlton

Daloney is a highly valued senior staff member who joined the Home in 2014. First working as a Carer and then a Senior Carer, Daloney has worked within the Catering team as a Dining Room Assistant since 2018. Extremely passionate about caring for our residents, Daloney goes above and beyond while also supporting them on visits to the Hairdresser or hospital, or for any personal errands. Daloney is dedicated to improving our catering provision across the board; she personally manages our residents’ individual menu plans to ensure we cover all their nutritional, cultural and clinical needs, tailored to suit their preferences. Daloney is very proud of her children and granddaughter, and her daughter also works within the Home.

Jade Shorter

Jade is extremely passionate about her role as Head Chef at Silverpoint Court, which she pursues alongside studies in criminal psychology and forensic science. With accomplishments in computing, food safety, restaurant business and hospitality management, Jade is currently studying Diet and Nutrition Advanced Diploma Level 5. With a bubbly character, Jade leads her Kitchen Team to produce homely, flavoursome, eye-catching meals for her residents, from all corners of the world. Jade continues to raise the catering provision at Silverpoint Court; a specialist in cooking starters and mains, Jade constantly strives to develop her own skills and the level of food service, presentation and dining experience in the Home.