Staff and residents at Wilsmere House care home in Harrow are celebrating because their wonderful Regional Directors, Jayne Holloway & Maria Stefea, from Barchester’s South Division, have stepped completely out of their comfort zones to compete in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2025.
Maria and Jayne went head to head with the Regional Directors from Barchester’s four other divisions and cooked up a storm to raise a phenomenal £31,000 for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life. Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2024 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £335,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to 239 small groups and charities, plus 104 individuals in one year alone.
Jayne and Maria made a delicious three course meal for their Cook Off Challenge, plus afternoon tea items. To start they prepared a cream cheese and salmon mousse, followed by a classic Chicken Cordon Bleu and then gooey Lava Cake for dessert, all of which were very well received by the judging panel made up members of Barchester’s Executive team. Their afternoon tea items were incredibly moreish mini lemon and raspberry upside down cakes. They were pipped at the post but highly commended by the judges none the less and won the Best Presentation award for their stylish dishes.
General Manager of Wilsmere House care home, Liliana Cocue, said: “We are all so proud of Maria & Jayne for taking part in this challenge, they really are both amazing. Their dishes looked absolutely fantastic and they raised so much for the Foundation, we think they are absolute super stars!
