We are delighted to be supporting the NHS Chef of the Year 2025 competition, a celebration of innovation, creativity, and excellence in NHS hospitality.
The journey began with a series of regional heats starting in July, including one hosted at the University of West London by Chef Michael Coaker. These heats paved the way to the highly anticipated finals in York this October, where eight teams of two will compete for the title.
In September, the competing chefs took part in three Mentor Days (16th–18th September), designed to prepare them for the challenges ahead. On 17th September, the focus was on the Hospitality Task, which includes creating smoothies.
To support this, Oranka will be sharing a selection of our refreshing, nutrient-rich smoothies, including:
We also provided base juices — NFC Orange and NFC Cloudy Apple — to help the chefs experiment and develop new flavour combinations. And, to keep everyone hydrated during the sessions, we even supplied some of our Hydration Juices.
The grand finals will be held 20th–24th October, with 21st October being a particularly exciting day as the teams showcase their hospitality skills by creating smoothies using our NFC Orange or NFC Cloudy Apple as a base.
This stage of the competition highlights the growing role of beverages in NHS catering — not just as a source of nutrition, but as an enjoyable, uplifting part of the patient, staff, and visitor experience.
At Oranka, we’re passionate about helping shape the future of NHS hospitality. We’re especially excited that our smoothies will be part of the Mentor Days, where chefs will explore how drinks can contribute to hospitality innovation within the NHS. By sharing our smoothie range and inspiring new ways to enhance hydration and nutrition, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the competition and to patient care more widely.
We wish the best of luck to all the talented chefs competing this year — we can’t wait to see how you bring these ideas to life!