Staff and residents at Harper Fields care home in Balsall Common are celebrating because their brilliant Managing Director, Alison Donaldson, from Barchester’s North West and Midlands Division, has beaten all competition to be crowned Cook Off Champion in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2024.
Alison Donaldson went head-to-head with the Managing Directors from Barchester’s four other divisions and cooked up a storm to raise a phenomenal £24,595 for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which 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 2023 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £225,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to 160 small groups and charities, plus 87 individuals in one year alone. Alison made some fabulous dishes for her Cook Off Challenge, first she prepared a delicious Chicken Roulade stuffed with pork and apple sausage in a mushroom, shallot and madeira sauce.
Then she moved on to Sticky Toffee Pudding served with clotted cream and edible flowers both of which were very well received by the judging panel made up members of Barchester’s Executive team. General Manager of Harper Fields care home, Harper Fields said: “We are all so proud of Alison, she really is amazing – is there nothing she can’t do!
“Her dishes looked absolutely fantastic, and she raised so much for the Foundation, we think she is an absolute super star!”
