Catering jobs in healthcare are far more than just preparing and serving meals—they contribute to service user recovery and well-being. Nutritious meals are essential for maintaining overall health, especially for individuals in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and long-term care facilities. This ensures service users receive nutritious, safe, and tailored meals that align with their dietary needs and medical conditions. Catering in healthcare is where culinary meets compassion, making it a truly rewarding and valuable role.
In our latest article, we spoke to Neil Dowsett, Head Chef at Farmfield, a service for adult men who potentially have a forensic background and enduring mental health illnesses. Neil shares his lifelong career in the catering industry, the positive effect working at Elysium has had on his work life balance and the impact he makes on our service users.
Take us back in time, have you always been in catering? Or have you had any other previous professions?
I left school and attended catering college before working in various pubs, restaurants, and hotels. After a while, I took a break from the industry and explored other jobs, including painting and decorating, as well as roofing. I then spent 11 years working for Bupa, starting as a chef and eventually becoming the catering manager. Later, I ran my own pub, holding a lease for seven years. However, the recession made things difficult, and with children to care for, it became overwhelming, so we decided to move on. I also wanted something closer to home, as my pub was on the other side of London, requiring extensive travel. I then started working in a care home then an opportunity at Elysium Healthcare came up and 4 years later I am still here.
Why did you choose catering as a career path?
Like many young boys, I dreamed of becoming a footballer, but I wasn’t quite good enough, so that idea didn’t go far. My dad encouraged me to go to college and learn a trade, saying that if I didn’t enjoy it, I could always try something else. I stuck with it because it was something I could do well.
My dad was involved in the wedding business, handling catering and car hire, and as kids, we would help out—washing up, waiting tables, and assisting at wedding receptions. My parents felt I was too young to go straight into work and believed I needed more education, so catering college became the obvious choice.
I ended up really enjoying it. The college had a restaurant open to the public, giving us hands-on experience in a real working environment. I received classical training, as most chefs do, and it was a great experience. After finishing college, I had the opportunity to work for one of our tutors, whose father-in-law owned a hotel in Cornwall and spend many summers working there.
Why did you choose to move your career to Elysium Healthcare?
Working in hotels meant late nights, sometimes finishing at midnight or 1:00 AM, only to be back in the morning for the afternoon shift. When I first started working in healthcare, I was finishing by 7:00 PM, which was a huge improvement.
At that stage in my life, with small children, I didn’t want to go back to the gruelling schedule of the hospitality industry—long nights, barely any time at home, and constantly feeling exhausted. Working at Elysium provided a much better work-life balance. I was only working four days a week, meaning I regularly had two or three days off, which is fantastic. In pubs and restaurants, if you manage to get even a day and a half off, you’re lucky. It also helps that I have a great team. The people here are lovely, we all work well as a team and the overall environment is positive. The training is excellent, the hours are reasonable, and everything about the job makes it a good fit.
What do you enjoy most about working at Elysium Healthcare?
I enjoy interacting with the patients and find including them in the menu choices really rewarding. We have meetings with the patients about the food so that we can discuss what they like and what they don’t. We get to sit with them, chat, and actually ask them what they want instead of just serving whatever’s available.
When I update the menus—which we do two or three times a year—I make sure they have a say. For example, at Christmas, I ask them what they’d like instead of just defaulting to the usual turkey. Most people are tired of it anyway! Last time, they chose lamb – even though it’s the most expensive option- But giving them that choice matters as it helps them feel valued and included.
If you feel inspired by Neil’s career story, we have a number of catering opportunities that could be the career move you have been looking for.
Is healthcare catering the right career for you?
If you have a good knowledge of food health and safety regulations, know how to prepare lots of tasty dishes and have excellent customer service skills, then healthcare catering could be the perfect career change for you. From a catering assistant to team leader and catering manager, there’s a catering role that’s perfect for you.
You’ll grow your skills in catering services and food preparation and meet some amazing people. A career in catering in a healthcare setting is rewarding, challenging and unforgettable. If you’re ready to work with patients and staff and deliver an exceptional customer service experience in healthcare facilities, we’d love to hear from you.