#NACC2026
Join us on 14 - 15 October 2026 at Hilton St George's Park, Burton Upon Trent
National Awards 2026
The National Association of Care Catering Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and dedication, shining a spotlight on individuals, teams and organisations who have made remarkable contributions to enhance the quality of care catering.
The Awards will be presented at a Gala Dinner during the National Training & Development Forum,
East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, 15th October 2026.
Shortlist Announced!
The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has revealed the shortlist for the NACC National Awards 2026, which this year include a new category – The Innovation Award.
Every year these coveted awards celebrate the skills, excellence and dedication the Association’s members demonstrate daily as they deliver exceptional nutrition and hydration to older and vulnerable people.
Across the care catering sector, teams and individuals have been nominated by their colleagues for the outstanding service they deliver, whether they work in residential care homes, Meals on Wheels services, lunch clubs and day centres, or in other supporting roles.
These nominations have been whittled down to a shortlist in each of seven categories, with the winners due to be revealed at a Gala Dinner on Thursday 15th October, as part of the NACC Training & Development Forum 2026.
Care Establishment of the Year Award
The award will be presented to a Day Care Unit or Residential Care Establishment who have demonstrated over the past year their meals and beverages deliver choice, meet the dietary and nutritional needs of individuals and ensures that the dining environment and the standards provided improve the experience and outcomes for the service users throughout the day.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
Person centred planning
-
Outstanding levels of service are consistently delivered
-
Evidence shown of exceptional results and have considered the principles of the Care Home Digest
-
Shown they can cater for choices across all dietary and cultural needs
-
Nutrition and hydration needs of individuals are being met Please base your answer on the actual nutritional needs of your clients.
Sponsored By
Meals on Wheels Award
The award will be presented to anyone who provides a meals on wheels service. This may be related to any events or initiatives whilst delivering the meals on wheels service during the past year.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
How do you meet nutritional and hydration needs? Pease base your answer on the actual nutritional needs of your clients
-
What added benefits do you supply?
-
How have you raised the profile of the service?
-
How have you interacted with current and new customers?
Sponsored By
Catering Team of the Year Award
The award will be presented to the catering team who has shown outstanding achievement in their field in the past year. It is expected our winning team will have demonstrated a dedication and commitment to their customers that is founded on the understanding of care and of individual needs, choice and wellbeing. It is also expected that the winning team can evidence that they have embraced and excelled beyond the care home digest principles.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
Good nutritional and hydration care Please base your answer on the actual nutritional needs of your clients
-
Customer satisfaction
-
Creativity and effectiveness
-
Evidence of team work
-
Evidence the measures of customer satisfaction and responses to feedback
-
Shown creativity in food and dining and your menu also considers sustainability
Sponsored By
Catering Manager of the Year Award
The award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities in the past year; they will have positively empowered both colleagues and customers and will be able to demonstrate tangible improvements to the benefit of the commercial operation and the customer.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
Operational improvements and benefits
-
Originality and innovation
-
How you added value to the customer experience
-
Leadership and empowerment
Sponsored By
Our Care Catering Hero Award
This individual needs to demonstrate how they have gone above and beyond their regular day duties to ensure and enrich the experience of the people or persons that they either work with or provide a service to in a person centred way.
This award will nominate a frontline worker/volunteer which could be someone delivering a meals on wheels service; a catering service or care worker within a care environment.
The submission should include two or more independent testimonials that could come from a service user, relative, carer or manager.
Sponsored By
Region of the Year Award
Nominations for this award should be submitted by the regional committee and are required to demonstrate the successful operation of the region throughout the year.
The award will be presented to the region that has most effectively met the judging criteria:
-
Interesting and original events and meetings
-
Recruitment and retention of members
-
Raising the profile of the NACC within your region
-
Evidence to demonstrate development and improvement within your region in the past year
Sponsored By
The Bev Puxley Award
This award is presented to a care chef who can demonstrate the significant contribution to the enhancement of care catering within their workplace and has maybe encouraged and helped train others to achieve the same high standards of catering for their residents.
The recipient would be an influential and motivated care chef who cares about the food they deliver to residents and is looking to succeed, achieve and expand their skills and knowledge with others in care catering.
Sponsored By
Innovation Award
This award recognises a product or service innovation that has significantly transformed or influenced an operator’s catering strategy. Entries should demonstrate originality and clearly evidence the measurable impact the innovation has delivered for both the operation and the customer.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
The development and implementation of the innovation
-
Demonstrable impact and results, showing how the innovation
-
Has transformed or influenced catering strategy
-
Client or customer feedback/testimonials
Sponsored By
Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award
No Nomination Required
This award is presented in recognition of Pam and her outstanding commitment and contribution to the NACC and Care Catering. The recipient will have demonstrated exceptional standards of care, compassion and professionalism and have gained the respect and admiration of their colleagues and the wider industry. The award is made at the discretion of the NACC National Executive Committee.
Sponsored By
The National Chair's Award
No Nomination Required
This award is presented without specific criteria or independent judging, the National Chair’s Award is the gift of the Chair and is awarded to an organisation or individual who, in the opinion of the Chair has displayed an exceptional commitment over a number of years, or made an outstanding individual contribution to the National Association of Care Catering.
Sponsored By
Care Establishment of the Year Award
The award will be presented to a Day Care Unit or Residential Care Establishment who have demonstrated over the past year their meals and beverages deliver choice, meet the dietary and nutritional needs of individuals and ensures that the dining environment and the standards provided improve the experience and outcomes for the service users throughout the day.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
Person centred planning
-
Outstanding levels of service are consistently delivered
-
Evidence shown of exceptional results and have considered the principles of the Care Home Digest
-
Shown they can cater for choices across all dietary and cultural needs
-
Nutrition and hydration needs of individuals are being met Please base your answer on the actual nutritional needs of your clients.
Sponsored By
Meals on Wheels Award
The award will be presented to anyone who provides a meals on wheels service. This may be related to any events or initiatives whilst delivering the meals on wheels service during the past year.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
How do you meet nutritional and hydration needs? Pease base your answer on the actual nutritional needs of your clients
-
What added benefits do you supply?
-
How have you raised the profile of the service?
-
How have you interacted with current and new customers?
Sponsored By
Catering Team of the Year Award
The award will be presented to the catering team who has shown outstanding achievement in their field in the past year. It is expected our winning team will have demonstrated a dedication and commitment to their customers that is founded on the understanding of care and of individual needs, choice and wellbeing. It is also expected that the winning team can evidence that they have embraced and excelled beyond the care home digest principles.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
Good nutritional and hydration care Please base your answer on the actual nutritional needs of your clients
-
Customer satisfaction
-
Creativity and effectiveness
-
Evidence of team work
-
Evidence the measures of customer satisfaction and responses to feedback
-
Shown creativity in food and dining and your menu also considers sustainability
Sponsored By
Catering Manager of the Year Award
The award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities in the past year; they will have positively empowered both colleagues and customers and will be able to demonstrate tangible improvements to the benefit of the commercial operation and the customer.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
Operational improvements and benefits
-
Originality and innovation
-
How you added value to the customer experience
-
Leadership and empowerment
Sponsored By
Our Care Catering Hero Award
This individual needs to demonstrate how they have gone above and beyond their regular day duties to ensure and enrich the experience of the people or persons that they either work with or provide a service to in a person centred way.
This award will nominate a frontline worker/volunteer which could be someone delivering a meals on wheels service; a catering service or care worker within a care environment.
The submission should include two or more independent testimonials that could come from a service user, relative, carer or manager.
Sponsored By
Region of the Year Award
Nominations for this award should be submitted by the regional committee and are required to demonstrate the successful operation of the region throughout the year.
The award will be presented to the region that has most effectively met the judging criteria:
-
Interesting and original events and meetings
-
Recruitment and retention of members
-
Raising the profile of the NACC within your region
-
Evidence to demonstrate development and improvement within your region in the past year
Sponsored By
The Bev Puxley Award
This award is presented to a care chef who can demonstrate the significant contribution to the enhancement of care catering within their workplace and has maybe encouraged and helped train others to achieve the same high standards of catering for their residents.
The recipient would be an influential and motivated care chef who cares about the food they deliver to residents and is looking to succeed, achieve and expand their skills and knowledge with others in care catering.
Sponsored By
Innovation Award
This award recognises a product or service innovation that has significantly transformed or influenced an operator’s catering strategy. Entries should demonstrate originality and clearly evidence the measurable impact the innovation has delivered for both the operation and the customer.
The judges will evaluate within the submission evidence of:
-
The development and implementation of the innovation
-
Demonstrable impact and results, showing how the innovation
-
Has transformed or influenced catering strategy
-
Client or customer feedback/testimonials
Sponsored By
Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award
No Nomination Required
This award is presented in recognition of Pam and her outstanding commitment and contribution to the NACC and Care Catering. The recipient will have demonstrated exceptional standards of care, compassion and professionalism and have gained the respect and admiration of their colleagues and the wider industry. The award is made at the discretion of the NACC National Executive Committee.
Sponsored By
The National Chair's Award
No Nomination Required
This award is presented without specific criteria or independent judging, the National Chair’s Award is the gift of the Chair and is awarded to an organisation or individual who, in the opinion of the Chair has displayed an exceptional commitment over a number of years, or made an outstanding individual contribution to the National Association of Care Catering.
Sponsored By