The talents of a north-east chef killed in a crash late last year have been recognised with a posthumous award.
John Grover was last year crowned the best care home chef in Scotland in recognition of the tasty meals he makes for residents of Barchester’s Fairview House in Danestone.
Staff and residents then nominated him for the nutrition and eating well category of the Scottish Care Home Awards, but he was tragically killed before he could be announced as the winner.
Last week, the 62-year-old’s partner Lilias Wright and her son Michael joined staff from Fairview House at the awards ceremony organised by Scottish Care.
Ms Wright collected the posthumous award, and said nothing gave Mr Grover more satisfaction than seeing residents enjoying their meals.
Ms Wright said: “John absolutely loved his job, nothing gave him greater satisfaction than seeing the residents at Fairview House eating well and enjoying their food, he often talked about how motivating he found ensuring the residents had the tastiest and most nutritious meals possible.
‘He truly deserved to win this award’
“As a family, we know how much it would have meant to him to win this award, and we’re so proud of him.”
Mr Grover, from New Pitsligo, joined Fairview House in March 2020, just before the pandemic began, and before that worked as a chef in the military for 24 years.
Residents and staff nominated Mr Grover for his caring and proactive approach to helping residents with special dietary requirements.
Divisional director for Barchester Healthcare Fiona Fagan said: “We couldn’t be prouder of John. He was the best of the best.
“He cared so much about putting together wonderful meals for our residents, he is much missed but we all learned a great deal from him and we are ensuring his legacy lives on at Fairview House.”
Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, added: “We were delighted to award John the nutrition and eating well award.
“He was always considerate of residents and their individual needs, showing a caring approach to creating different menus and meal experiences that were nutritional, diverse, and well-received. He truly deserved to win this award.”
