At our annual Prize Winners’ Lunch, we celebrate the impressive talent and dedication of the winning competitors of the events we supported in 2025. As always, we seek to encourage culinary excellence, and champion young people in the food and hospitality industries.
Held at Innholders’ Hall on Wednesday 11 March 2026, this year’s Guest of Honour and Speaker at the lunch was Freeman Professor Emeritus Tim Lang. He also assisted the Master in presenting each prize winner with an engraved goblet to commemorate the occasion.
The Cooks’ Prize Winners
City St George University MSc Food Policy Dissertation – Jessica Colston
NHS Chefs of the Year 2025 – Nedko Rusev
NHS Chefs of the Year 2025 – Joe Omolo
NHS Special Award Winner – Charlotte Fairall
NACC Care Chef of the Year 2025 – Ilona Tomza
NACC Bev Puxley Award 2025 – Janos Csavas
LACA School Chef of the Year Award 2025 – Erin Ward
William Heptinstall Award – Alex Lewis
Robert Linsley Trophy League of Club Chefs Award – Dylan Watson
City and Guilds Livery Cooks Award 2025 – Paul Mercer
Cherry Grainger Prize for City & Guilds Outstanding Performance 2025 – Dr Hilary Cooke
Craft Guild of Chefs Best Pastry Graduate – Christi Myburgh
The Bev Puxley Award recognises a significant contribution made to enhance care catering within their workplace. Head Chef Janos focused on the individual residents, providing meals for those with swallowing difficulties, nostalgia driven menus and improving dementia nutrition.
Military Prize Winners
Exercise Joint Caterer 2025 attracted 134 chefs from the Armed Forces, competing in 18 live classes held over two days. The classes sponsored by The Cooks Company were dominated by the Royal Navy Catering Services!
Junior Cook & Serve Award – Able Seaman Dannon Nicholls RN
Junior Cook & Serve Award – Able Seaman Emily Errington RN
Open Cook & Serve Award – Petty Officer Gina Towler-Habron RN
Open Cook & Serve Award – Leading Hand Mhari Coghlan RN
Open Cook & Serve Award – Leading Hand Siohban Kent RN
Other military award recipients attending the lunch included:
Catering Training Wing Instructor’s Award – Petty Officer (Catering Services) Natasha Mackie RN
John Retallick Award – Corporal Matthew Strickland RAF
HMS Duncan Cooks’ Sailor of the Year 2025 – Petty Officer (Catering Services) Gary Ewen RN
167 Regiment RLC Cooks’ Soldier of the Year 2025 – Corporal Hannah Marriott
No.3 Mobile Catering Squadron RAF Cooks’ Aviator of the Year 2025 – Flight Sergeant Stanley Bradder RAF
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cooks’ Chef Sailor of the Year 2024 – Chief Petty Officer Peter Thornton RFA
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cooks’ Chef Sailor of the Year 2025 – Leading Hand Chef Jack Watkins RFA
Congratulations to them all!
