‘Come Cook with us at Billingsgate Fish Market!’
A group of our talented Nellsar Chefs were excited to come together on Thursday 28 November to attend a Winter Seminar at Billingsgate Market in London, organised by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC).
The aim of the day was to showcase Billingsgate itself – UK’s largest inland fish market – and provide cooking demonstrations from Master Chefs, giving attendees a chance to develop their preparation, cooking and presentation skills, inspired by the famous surroundings and on-hand dedicated industry professionals.
Market tour and cooking demonstrations
The day started with a bright and early 6am arrival, all ready for a 6:30am tour of the seafood market and welcome from CJ Jackson who is known as ‘The Fish Boss’.
Attendees were then divided into groups for the day, to attend detailed practical cooking sessions with Fish Boss CJ Jackson, Mark Wetherill from QuornPro and Danny Silcock from Brakes. Demonstrations included cleaning and filleting fish, working with shrimp and clams, how to choose the right type of fish from a market, plus cooking fishcakes.
After lunch, food preparation equipment company Robot Coupe (UK) Ltd showcased their best products for the care sector and the seminar concluded with closing words from the National Association of Care Catering South East Team.
Nellsar and NACC
The NACC is a respected authority and source of information in UK Care Catering, aiming to bring together and support those working in the industry. Their mission is to raise the standards of care catering and shine a spotlight on the importance of good nutrition and hydration for the elderly residing in care settings. Nellsar has been an NACC member since 2018, and each year our colleagues have attended their conferences and forums, making meaningful connections with professionals in the care catering field. Leni Wood, our Head of Nutrition and Wellness, and Adrian Silaghi, Head of Nellsar’s Catering Services, have also been invited by the NACC to talk at their industry seminars to motivate others with their experience.
We are proud to have received positive feedback and continuous validation from the NACC with our care catering evolution within Nellsar, and this year our Princess Christian Care Home won the Catering Team of the Year category at the prestigious National Association of Care Catering Awards which took place at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on 3 October.
This latest Billingsgate Market seminar was a fantastic opportunity for more of our catering team members to enhance their professional development with tailored skills training, which will benefit residents living across our Homes.
Seminar feedback
Our Chefs were full of praise for the seminar and practical sessions, and many have expressed how inspired they were by the whole day.
“I am so happy that I had the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary seminar and it exceeded all my expectations. My favourite part was when we had to fillet fish, prepare shrimp and clams, and spend time with a fish expert who had a lot of experience and explained everything you need to know about choosing and filleting fish. From my point of view, the practical parts help a lot in your professional development, because when you achieve a qualification, much of it is based on the theory and there’s less focus on the practical part. My colleague Catalin has the same opinion. Thank you for giving us both this opportunity – we appreciate it!”
Chef Christian, Princess Christian Care Home“It was a great day and Chef James and I both took a lot away from the sessions and talks from all involved. I would strongly recommend and urge all of the Nellsar Chefs to grab the next opportunity with both hands, as it was very inspiring and informative for our sector in the catering industry. Many thanks again for getting us both involved from St Winifreds.”
Head Chef Luke, St Winifreds Care Home
Our Senior Management team was also delighted to support the event:
“I would absolutely promote live cooking demos as part of the learning experience. Given we know people learn in multiple ways, it makes sense to combine physical and theoretical learning, and it embraces the fun in learning. The seminar sounds awesome!” Torie Sabbarton, Nellsar Operations and Compliance Manager
Adrian Silaghi, Head of Catering Services at Nellsar, was thrilled by the success of the seminar:
“The day was so positive and I felt proud having Nellsar Chefs involved with the National Association of Care Catering, along with other Chefs working in care catering and experts from the highest level. Next time I’m hoping to include more Chefs from across our Homes, as professional development like this really helps to underpin their skills and motivation. I’m thrilled our Chefs got so much out of the day and have given such positive feedback.”
