AWARD WINNING INNOVATION: HOW CHEF NEDKO RUSEV USED EAT CURIOUS TO SECURE NHS CHEF OF THE YEAR 2025

November 4, 2025

Written by Preyesh Patel

AWARD-WINNING INNOVATION: HOW CHEF NEDKO RUSEV USED EAT CURIOUS TO SECURE NHS CHEF OF THE YEAR 2025

Innovation in the kitchen often begins with curiosity, and for Nedko Rusev of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, that curiosity was ignited in 2023 with an introduction to Eat Curious. Fast forward to October 2025, Ned, along with support from Joe Omolo from Stepping Hill Hospital and mentorship from Stuart Finn of Bidfood, took home the prize of NHS Chef of the Year. At the core of many of his dishes was our Eat Curious dehydrated protein, and it was his innovative use of the product that saw him secure not only the title of Chef of the Year but first place in the plant-based challenge. What started as curiosity about a new ingredient grew into a dedication to create inspiring, and now award-winning, dishes. We sat down with Ned to explore how Eat Curious products have inspired his creativity and the story behind his winning dishes.

How were you first introduced to Eat Curious products?

Back in 2023, while I was working in the kitchen, I received a phone call from Andrew Politi, who introduced me to an amazing product from Eat Curious — a plant-based range suitable for vegan dishes. At that time, I was looking for something new and exciting to include on our menu, so his call came at the perfect moment.

We arranged a meeting to discuss the products in more detail. I was very excited, as I wanted to make some positive changes to our plant-based offerings. I remember Resh DIu, CEO of Eat Curious, arriving with a full trolley of samples. I was genuinely surprised!

We had a long and productive meeting where Resh explained how to use the products, and I was eager to start experimenting straight away. We cooked a few dishes together, and they turned out delicious. I was so pleased with the results.

How did you start implementing Eat Curious products into your menus?

Soon after the visit from Resh, I opened an account with the supplier and began ordering Eat Curious products. Although initial sales were modest, we continued to work on improving our menu. Later, Chris Jackson, Sales and Operations Manager, and Rhys Richardson, Head of Development and Innovation, visited for a team day, which was a great success and really helped to inspire new ideas.

I then started to develop and practice different recipes using Eat Curious products, and the results were excellent. I even recommended them to many of my colleagues from other trusts, who were equally impressed.

Can you tell us more about NHS Chef of The Year and your use of Eat Curious products?

One of the highlights of my journey was reaching the NHS Chef of the Year Final, where we had to cook using Eat Curious ingredients. My experience with their products helped me create a beautiful plant-based risotto and cheesecake, as well as a bread recipe that worked perfectly. For my final dessert, I made a fig cake using Eat Curious products, and it was a real success!

I’m truly pleased that such high-quality plant-based products are available on the market today. Eat Curious has given me the freedom to be creative and develop better, more exciting recipes.