Dalkeith chef scoops coveted national award
Ahmet Akkur at Archview Lodge in Dalkeith has beaten all the competition to be crowned National Lifetime Achievement Award in the Barchester Care Awards 2025.
The Barchester Care Awards celebrate the staff who go the extra mile for the benefit of the 13,500 residents living in Barchester’s 268 care homes and private hospitals across the country. Categories range from ‘Team of the Year’ and ‘Carer of the Year’ to ‘Dementia Care Champion’ and ‘Activities Coordinator of the Year’.
More than 5,250 nominations were received from homes and hospitals across the UK. All entries were a very high standard and Ahmet is over the moon to have been named the national winner, beating hundreds of other nominees to the coveted title.
Ahmet Akkur said: “I was very grateful for everyone’s support; it’s been lovely to celebrate this achievement with the residents and my colleagues. I am very proud to work with the team at Archview and provide the best for our residents. Archview is like my second family”.
Ahmet’s win was announced at a special national award ceremony which took place on October 23 to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Barchester’s many exemplary staff members who work tirelessly to deliver the best care to their residents and patients every day.
General Manager, Sarah Thomson said: “This is an amazing achievement and the whole home is so proud of him. Ahmet is a huge asset to our team here at Archview he is incredibly motivated to make our residents dining experience special. He is very passionate about involving the residents in all he does through his chef workshops and meetings to gain insight into their requests and wishes. His desire to develop his team is clear with many gaining confidence to pursue careers themselves as chefs citing him as inspiration. His positivity and genuine care for our residents is tangible. We are all delighted with this well-deserved achievement”.
Dr Pete Calveley, CEO of Barchester Healthcare, added: “Hosting the Barchester Care Awards where we recognise and thank all of our staff for their hard work and dedication is without doubt my favourite day of the year.We have the best teams in the world and I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of our members of staff, they are all absolutely amazing.”