Stockport NHS chef named as North West Junior Manager of the Year

A head chef working in Stepping Hill Hospital’s catering team has been named as ‘Junior Manager of the Year’ from across the North West.

Michelle Robinson received the title at the annual awards held by the North West branch of the Hospital Caterers Association, celebrating the best in regional healthcare catering. 

Michelle joined the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust catering team in September 2023 as an assistant head chef, with previous varied experience as a nutritional chef for Manchester United, for care homes and for airlines.

She was promoted to head chef within a year, and since then has made great improvements in choice in both patient menus and the hospital staff and visitor restaurant.

Michelle is described as manager who always has time to support colleagues, whether their issues are work or personally related.

Last year, together with Stockport colleague Slavka Vaysilova, she came second in the national ‘NHS Chef of the Year’ competition run by NHS England.  

She is currently working on projects to improve meals for patients with dysphagia, and creating more sustainable menus to trust’s carbon footprint.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Support Services Manager (Catering) Erica Bell said:

“We are so lucky to have Michelle here at Stepping Hill Hospital catering team, and we’re so pleased for her being names as junior manager of the year – she truly deserves it.”