CELEBRATIONS were in order as a Shirley care home managing director’s team cooked up a storm in the kitchen.
Alison Donaldson, from Barchester’s North West and Midlands Division, and her team of five fellow managing directors and a hospital director won the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2026.
Alison’s team, the Pressure Cookers went head to head with members of Barchester’s executive team, the Rolling Scones, to cook up a storm and win the coveted Cook Off crown whilst raising vital funds for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.
With money still coming in, so far the Cook Off 2026 has raised £53,000.
The Charitable Foundation helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life. Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2025 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £424,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to a staggering 262 small groups and charities, plus 123 individuals in one year alone.
The Pressure Cookers beat the Rolling Scones with their menu which had a choice of three different starters, the judges named their lobster bisque with chive crème fraiche and croutons an absolute triumph.
For main, there was a choice of cod loin with beetroot, asparagus and champ mash or homemade sweet potato and chickpea curry.
For dessert, the options were white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake or rhubarb crumble custard aart and their Afternoon Tea item was a sausage plait with red onion chutney.
Alison said: “It was very much a team effort but I am so proud of what we all achieved.
“The dishes we created looked amazing and were delicious if I do say so myself. We absolutely smashed it out of the park but the icing on the cake was the amount of money we raised thanks to the support of all our homes so I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated.”
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