Foodservice Cateys 2022: Outstanding Contribution Award – Nick Vadis, Compass UK & Ireland

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When Nick Vadis first joined the navy as a teenager it was as a helicopter mechanic, but it wasn’t long before he swapped a spanner for a spoon, sparking a career that would inspire countless chefs.

 

Having risen through the ranks in the navy he ultimately followed in his teacher mother’s footsteps by completing a BA in education and heading up the Royal Naval Cookery School, where he himself had trained 20 years before Vadis then left to join Cambridge University and open a conference centre in Wyboston Lakes with a former colleague. He stayed for two years before joining Compass Group as the executive chef at British Airways and, in 2007, was appointed to the position of executive chef for the UK and Ireland before being made culinary director in 2009.

 

While leading the catering giant’s culinary direction, Vadis also played a significant part in the progress of thousands of chefs through his work with culinary competitions like Salon Culinaire, along with apprenticeships and training programmes and with numerous individual mentorships. A firm believer in the benefit of competition to a chef’s progress, Vadis has been captain of the Combined Services Culinary Arts team, the vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, as well as coach to the English Culinary Olympics team, who won their first ever gold in 2016.

 

More recently, he has been instrumental in changing the way the NHS procures, supplies and delivers food to patients. As part of his work as an NHS ambassador Vadis has set up a new Chef Academy, developed new staff and visitor feeding practices, worked on improvements alongside the government’s Hospital Food Review, implemented Chef of the Year competitions and designed multiple cookbooks providing a suite of recipes.

 

He has also set up partnerships with two colleges to inspire young people to become NHS chefs, implemented a new annual NHS Chef of the Year competition with Pru Leith, attracting entries from over seven different NHS regions, and designed and delivered six new cookbooks.

 

Vadis’s initiatives and his strapline of ‘AIR – Attract, Invest, Retain’ continue to transform people’s lives and careers, inspiring others and making an NHS career something to strive for. Something that has not always been the case.

 

Vadis says that to influence change you must step outside of your comfort zone, and he has done just that over the past 18 months by designing, implementing and delivering an exceptional package of initiatives that is changing the culture of food within the NHS.

 

Robin Mills, managing director, Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “Food is at the heart of all that he does. He is passionate about training and supporting chefs at all levels.

 

“Nick has championed our Compass Chef of the Year programme over the years, providing a great platform for chefs to perform in a competitive environment and learn new skills. The past 18 months he has been providing exceptional support to the NHS, where he was integral in the development of the NHS Chef Academy, once again providing great opportunities for chefs to both develop and showcase their talent. “I would like to congratulate Nick and thank him for all his commitment and hard work. He continues to be an inspiration to many.”

 

Past winners

 

2021 Chris Moore, the Clink

 

2019 Mike Sunley, Lexington Catering

 

2018 Wendy Bartlett, Bartlett Mitchell

 

2017 Simon Esner, BaxterStorey

 

2016 Phil Hooper, Sodexo

 

2015 Robyn & Tim Jones, CH&Co Group

 

2014 Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent

 

2013 David Mulcahy, Sodexo

 

The judges

 

This award was judged by The Caterer editorial team