Umbrella Training and NACC partner to create a New Senior Culinary Chef Apprenticeship for the Care Sector
Award‑winning hospitality apprenticeship provider, Umbrella Training, has joined the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) and is working in partnership with the organisation to design a new Senior Culinary Chef Apprenticeship, created specifically for chefs working within the care sector.
Developed in close collaboration with the NACC and sector specialists, the programme will be the first of its kind, shaped around the unique responsibilities, sensitivities and impact of cooking in care environments. The apprenticeship will focus on advanced culinary skills, nutritional understanding, specialist dietary knowledge and leadership skills, recognising the profound role that chefs play in supporting comfort, wellbeing and quality of life through food for residents across care settings.With the aim to strengthen professional development pathways for chefs working in care, this programme will support the care sector to attract, retain and nurture highly skilled culinary professionals.
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 - Partnerships & Growth at Umbrella Training, believes that supporting the care sector with high quality apprenticeships programmes is vital: “Joining the NACC is a fantastic step we’ve taken to work together in partnership on a brand new programme that is so important for catering within the care sector. Chefs in care settings play a fundamental role in supporting health, dignity and enjoyment for residents, yet their training pathways have not always reflected the breadth of skill, responsibility and care that their roles really demand.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.”
Neel Radia - National Chairman at NACC echoes Sam’s enthusiasm for this partnership: “The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) is 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”
The new apprenticeship framework will recognise the specialist skills required in care catering, strengthen nutritional and dietary expertise, build leadership capability for complex care environments and support workforce retention through clear, high‑quality progression routes. With demand for skilled care chefs continuing to grow, Umbrella Training and the NACC are committed to creating a programme that delivers lasting value for employers, chefs and residents alike. The Senior Culinary Chef Apprenticeship is due to be launched to NACC members in Spring 2026.
