Every year the NACC Awards celebrate the skills, innovation and dedication the association’s members demonstrate daily, whether they work in residential care homes, Meals on Wheels services, lunch clubs and day centres, or other community services. This year the Innovation Award has been added to the categories.
Neel Radia, chair of the NACC, said: “Our annual awards are always about recognising excellence within the care sector and this often goes hand-in-hand with innovative ideas that push the boundaries of great nutritional support just that little bit further.
“We are excited to announce the new Innovation Award this year. This new accolade is designed to recognise and commend those members who are leading the way in improving care catering with cutting edge innovations.
“The NACC continues to shine a light on a sector that is often undervalued and misunderstood. These awards not only celebrate the wide range of skills our members have, but also recognise the vital role members play in ensuring the vulnerable individuals they serve eat safely, remain hydrated and enjoy every dining experience.
“I would encourage everyone to enter their colleagues in the NACC Awards 2026 to ensure the hard work and talent of their teams does not go unrecognised, and I look forward to announcing the winners in October.”
The deadline for nominations in the NACC National Awards 2026 is Friday 26th June 2026. The judges will be looking for examples of ‘outstanding performance’ in delivering the highest standards of nutrition and hydration care to create tangible benefits for residents and other service users in the following categories:
Care Establishment of the Year Award, sponsored by allmanhall
- Meals on Wheels Award, sponsored by apetito
- Catering Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Rational UK
- Catering Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions#
- Our Care Catering Hero Award, sponsored by Miele
- Region of the Year Award, sponsored by Meiko UK
- The Bev Puxley Award, sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Cooks London
- Innovation Award (new for 2026)
The shortlist of finalists will be announced in August, with the winners in each category being announced at a Gala Dinner at the NACC Training & Development Forum on October 15th 2026.
The recipients of the Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Winterhalter, and the National Chair’s Award will also be revealed.