Four Oaks chef Michelle wins national Christmas cake competition

Four Oaks Care Home’s head chef, Michelle Robinson, is celebrating her victory in a national Christmas cake competition.

The festive baking and decorating challenge was laid down to Kingsley Healthcare’s care homes across the country.

Michelle’s two creations – a traditional cake and a Yule log – were chosen as the winner by Kingsley’s Facebook audience.

Four Oaks, in Partington, Manchester, secured nearly twice as many likes as the joint runners up, Redwalls Nursing Home, near Northwich, in Cheshire and The Depperhaugh, near Eye, in Suffolk.

Michelle, who has worked at Four Oaks for 17 months, said: “I am delighted to have won. I wanted to do a traditional cake for the residents and decorated it with an old-fashioned fireplace.

“Our manager, Kean Mason-Buckley, requested the log.

“Now I am going to cut the cakes and our residents and staff will all have a slice to celebrate.”

Redwalls’ cake was made by head chef Sharon Johnson who, earlier in her career, cooked for Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden when she ran a restaurant in Washington, in the US.

The Depperhaugh’s cake, with a Polar Express theme, was made by trainee chef Abbie Pochin.

Four Oaks receives a £150 prize to be spent on activities for the residents; Redwalls and The Depperhaugh each receive £100.

Kingsley founder and operations director Sumi Thayan said: “Well done to all our homes. They really have excelled themselves with their creativity. It shows the impressive calibre of our chefs.”


Find out more about Four Oaks nursing home

Author: Stephen Pullinger