Chef of the Year
Date of news/blog: 6th January 2026With so many talented chefs working at Dormy Care’s five homes, it takes a lot to be named Chef of the Year in our annual awards – and in Laura McAughey’s case that achievement is even more impressive.
That’s because 37-year-old Laura is a Kitchen Assistant with no formal cookery qualifications and who is entirely self-taught.
After tasting sessions at the five homes, our CEO Helen, Executive Chef James and Marketing Manager Rich were unanimous in choosing Laura as our 2025 Chef of the Year.
Laura wowed everyone with her approach, creating a completely sensory experience with James joking, when he entered the kitchen at Foxhunters, that she had turned it into a laboratory. But the ‘theatre’ would be nothing without great tasting food which James said was “exquisite.”
Before Laura joined Foxhunters in 2019, she worked in a bakery for almost ten years and before that as a kitchen assistant in a local pub.
Her role at Foxhunters is varied, covering everything from keeping the kitchen clean and tidy through to prepping vegetables and making cakes and generally supporting the three chefs.
“I really enjoy working with the kitchen team, they’re all just so supportive and we all help each other out,” Laura says.
“I have also built a nice rapport with the ladies and gentlemen in the home and they always give nice feedback which I appreciate.”
“We put real love into the food we serve which is one of the many reasons why I enjoy working here so much.”
Laura says she was “blown away” when her name was read out as Chef of the Year at the recent awards.
“The theme this year as chef’s indulgence so I wanted to do something that covered the whole dining experience so, for example, I put each course description in an envelope which I sealed with wax with the diners initials on and played classical editions of some of my favourite songs.
“And then with the food I tried to tell a bit of a story. So, my starter was one of the dishes I made at Foxhunters, but I elevated it in a way that was surprising for everyone.
“I love experimenting with food and I love teaching myself new skills and if something doesn’t go right, I see it more like a problem that needs to be solved rather than becoming disheartened.”
On the back of this award and the tremendous progress she has made, we have now offered Laura the opportunity to gain professional qualifications.
“Everyone has been really supportive of me and I am considering which direction to now take in my career, with patisserie being one speciality which interests me,” she says.