Bridlington Chef is longest serving NHS employee at Trust

Ken Brown, Head Chef at Bridlington Hospital, is one of the longest serving NHS employee at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Ken is celebrating 43 years in the NHS and was recognised for this outstanding achievement at the Trust’s annual long service awards last month.

Ken began his career in the NHS as a Trainee Chef at Clay Penny Hospital in Easingwold.

Ken said: “It’s quite uncommon isn’t it to stay this long in a job or working for the same organisation? The first hospital that I worked at had its own farm – now you can’t get fresher than that can you?”

In his 43 years with the NHS Ken has cooked for patients all over North Yorkshire including Easingwold, York and Scarborough. Ken moved to Scarborough Hospital in 1999 as Head Chef and in 2001 moved to Bridlington Hospital. 

In his 13 years at Bridlington Hospital Ken has seen many changes.

He said: “Bridlington is a lovely hospital and it’s great now that Kent Ward has reopened as the hospital is much busier and has a lovely buzz about it. I am lucky in that I get to get out to the wards, speaking to patients and staff.” 

Ken said that he would love to reach the milestone of 50 years in the NHS and with nine years till he can retire – he may even exceed this!   

His highlights include cooking for the Duchess of Kent at St Monica’s Hospital in Easingwold and developing a special pureed menu for patients at Bridlington Hospital.

Ken continued: “I have really enjoyed my time in the NHS. You get great job satisfaction from helping people to get better by providing them with well balanced, nutritional meals.

“I have worked with some great people and here at Bridlington everyone works as a team to help the patients get better.”

06 July 2014