The apprenticeship will focus on advanced culinary skills, nutritional understanding, specialist dietary knowledge and leadership skills, recognising the role that chefs play in supporting comfort, wellbeing and quality of life through food for residents across care settings.
The NACC says the programme will be the 'first of its kind', shaped around the unique responsibilities, sensitivities and impact of cooking in care environments. The programme aims to support the care sector to attract, retain and nurture highly skilled culinary professionals.
Neel Radia, chair at NACC, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Umbrella Training to develop a Senior Culinary Chef Apprenticeship that truly reflects the realities and responsibilities of catering within care settings. Care chefs require a unique blend of culinary skill, nutritional knowledge and leadership capability, and this new framework is designed to recognise and strengthen that expertise.
“By creating a clear, high-quality progression route, we aim to support workforce retention while ensuring chefs are equipped to deliver exceptional food and dining experiences for residents. This apprenticeship represents a significant step forward for the care catering profession.”
By investing in specialist training, leadership development and raising the culinary standards, Umbrella Training and the NACC hope to help care kitchens become places not only of nourishment, but of reassurance, familiarity and joy.
Sam Coulstock FIH MIEP, executive director of partnerships & growth at Umbrella Training, added: “By designing a dedicated Senior Culinary Chef Apprenticeship, we are creating a clear and aspirational route for chefs to grow, specialise and progress in a sector that touches thousands of lives every day.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to social mobility and to ensuring that talent, wherever it exists, is given the opportunity to thrive. Most importantly, it is about improving the experience of residents by supporting confident, well-trained chefs who understand not just food, but the people they are cooking for.”
The Senior Culinary Chef Apprenticeship is due to be launched to NACC members in Spring 2026.