A Witney care home chef has been shortlisted for a coveted national award.

Andrew Bedwell, head chef at Millers Grange, on Curbridge Road, was in the running to be crowned Chef of the Year at the Public Sector Catering Awards.

The awards reward individuals, teams, companies and organisations who go above and beyond to deliver high-quality, nutritious food in a care setting.

Andy joined Millers Grange as head chef in 2019, just before it opened.

Previously he had been overseeing catering for up to 10,000 people a day at Blenheim Palace, as well as holding a senior role in a well-known restaurant group and setting up numerous new gastro pubs. 

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Home manager Alison Parry said: “Andy meets every new resident to learn about their personality and tastes – most of them are well-travelled, and several are from overseas, so there’s definitely a broad range of expectations.

“He then works with his small team to create themed meals and events to help residents settle in and to celebrate them as individuals.

"One lady who had lived in India was keen to have an authentic curry, so she and Andy produced it together – with her grinding the spices in a pestle and mortar.

"That demonstrates his incredible talent for not only being a top notch chef but someone who really gets what it is that care home residents want from their kitchen team."