Month: August 2025

Chef Shannon Talbot-Bennett Shortlisted for StrEATfood Awards

Posted on by lawrence riches

We’re excited to share that our talented chef, Shannon Talbot-Bennett, has been shortlisted for the prestigious StrEATfood Awards 2025 for her standout dish, Next Level Bunny Chow.

About the StrEATfood Awards

Organised by Contract Catering Magazine, the StrEATfood Awards celebrate the UK’s most innovative street food chefs in workplace and event catering. This year, the final will take place on 7 October at Big Penny Social, London. Where 16 finalists will compete in two live challenges. First, they showcase their signature dishes in front of expert judges. Later, the second round will follow by a technical round, featuring surprise ingredients revealed on the day.

Celebrating Culinary Creativity

Shannon’s nomination highlights her exceptional culinary creativity, skill, and dedication to storytelling through food. Reflecting on this achievement, she said:

I’m honoured to be nominated for the StrEATfood Awards. This recognition motivates me to keep pushing boundaries and celebrating the bold flavours and stories behind every dish, including my South African bunny chow. Being born and raised in South Africa, this dish holds a close place to my heart, and my South African heritage is the inspiration behind it.

Bunny chow, a vibrant street food dish traditionally served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread and filled with spicy curry, showcases Shannon’s dedication to bringing authentic, culturally rich flavours to the workplace dining experience.

This nomination continues a strong tradition of success for OCS at the StrEATfood Awards. In 2024, our chefs impressed judges with bold, globally inspired dishes, earning recognition for creativity and excellence. The year before, Angel Hill Food Co. chef Matt Chapman was named StrEATfood Chef of the Year 2023 for his outstanding culinary performance. These achievements reflect the passion and innovation our chefs bring to every dish.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Shannon on this remarkable achievement and wish her the very best in the final. The entire team is cheering her on.

Chef Spotlight: Daisy Smith, Turning Childhood Dreams into a Catering Career

Posted on by lawrence riches

A Passion Sparked in the Kitchen

For Daisy Smith, the kitchen has always been a place of joy, creativity, and inspiration. Her journey into catering and hospitality began long before she became a chef.

“As a child, I used to spend school holidays with my dad, who was a chef at a private school in Rugby,” Daisy shares. “I’d join him at work, and we’d cook together in the kitchen. It was such a fun experience and it taught me so much about food. Looking back, those times were a huge inspiration for me.”

A Love of Food That Started Early

That early passion soon shaped Daisy’s career path. After leaving school, she began working as a kitchen porter at Weetabix in Burton Latimer. It wasn’t long before she moved into the kitchen, helping with food preparation and cooking breakfasts, mains, and now home baking.

“Once I started working with ingredients, something clicked,” Daisy explains. “I realised I had a passion for food and I wanted to turn it into a career.”

Now three years on, Daisy has developed a love for baking. “Over the past year, I’ve really gotten into baking, and I absolutely love it,” she says. “There’s something so rewarding about creating something from scratch and seeing how much people enjoy it.”

Culinary Classroom

Creativity and Support at Angel Hill Food Co.

Her role at Angel Hill Food Co. has given Daisy the freedom to be creative and push her skills further. “What I enjoy most is being able to try new ideas and bring them to life on the menu. The feedback from customers is instant, and when they love what I’ve made, it makes everything worthwhile. I’ve also been really lucky to work with such a supportive and welcoming team, it’s made my journey so special.”

As part of her development, Daisy has also joined the Culinary Classroom, a programme designed to inspire and support chefs across Angel Hill Food Co. For Daisy, it has been a key source of creativity.

“I’ve had such a great time in the Culinary Classroom so far. It’s given me loads of new ideas, and one of the highlights was the street food safari in Bristol. Trying so many different flavours opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about food, and I can’t wait to bring some of those dishes into my own menus.”

A Journey Driven by Passion

Daisy’s story is proof that passion, creativity, and hands-on experience can shape a career in catering and hospitality. From cooking alongside her dad to creating exciting new dishes for customers, her journey shows what’s possible when you truly LOVE food.