Scottish Care Home Group Wins Hospitality Award

Scottish provider of older person and specialist care, Meallmore, has won a major industry award recognising employee engagement within its hospitality teams.

Meallmore took home the Employee Engagement and Retention Award at the Scottish Excellence Awards, held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa.
The prestigious event celebrates the highest achievers in Scottish hospitality and foodservice, with the judges “delighted to receive an entry from a sector not often represented”. Open to any business or organisation with an interest in the Scottish hospitality sector, the awards are judged by a panel of independent experts from across the industry.

Judges praised the team for their structured development and training programmes, as well as the peer mentoring and culinary excellence that was evident across the nominations in, what they described as, “a very challenging environment”.

The judging panel said: “The business has a phenomenal staff retention rate and they actively promote roles internally, growing and developing their people and teams across all levels. As a company they are a real inspiration to others on how to attract and retain staff, and they were also a delight to meet during the judging process.”

The award recognised Meallmore’s approach to developing, engaging and retaining their people, particularly within hospitality and catering. Special recognition was given to their Academy of Catering in Care Excellence, which supports colleagues through dedicated training and development; as well as the annual ‘Meals Means More’ competition, which brings together some of their most talented chefs for a day of cooking, creativity and competition, with the core objective of making meals more meaningful in their care homes.

Commenting on the award win, Jody Marshall, Group Hospitality Manager said: “We were absolutely blown away to win this award. This a great testament of the team that is in place supporting our hospitality team. From recruitment and onboarding to day-to-day support, Meallmore processes and procedures are robust and supportive. I’m incredibly proud that we are showcasing the long-term career opportunities in hospitality within the care sector, and it’s an honour to be representing the care industry on this national stage.

“At Meallmore, we believe every mealtime should be an experience, and we are committed to raising standards, as well as recognising and developing the talent within our teams. In 2024, we launched our Academy of Kitchen Care Excellence – our award-winning kitchen training and development programme – and have followed with our successful Hospitality Academy for our Housekeeping teams, which offer structured training and development programmes. Ultimately, we’ve built a culture where people stay, develop and progress, and I’m thrilled that the judges recognised this.”
Cillian Hennessey, CEO of Meallmore, said: “We strongly believe in the power of investing in training, development and career progression for our colleagues across all roles. The result of this is lower colleague attrition and stronger retention, which is a real positive not just for our teams, but for our residents too.

“The catering and hospitality teams are remarkable and fully deserve to be recognised among the best of foodservice and hospitality in Scotland. Food has a huge impact in the care sector – supporting physical health, emotional comfort, cultural identity and social connection – as well as bringing joy and celebration. We’re so proud to be showcasing this, along with the meaningful, long-term career opportunities in our industry.”