Matthew Dodge, Group Executive Chef at Loveday
I oversee our culinary and kitchen operations across the residences, working closely with our chefs, hospitality and care teams to create authentic, nutritionally balanced meals tailored to our residents’ individual needs and preferences, while making every dining experience something to look forward to.
What’s a misconception about your position?
It’s probably the assumption that being an Executive Chef means I spend most of my time cooking. Cooking is at the heart of what I do, but the role goes far beyond the kitchen. Much of my time is spent developing and inspiring our chefs, creating menus, ensuring nutritional balance, managing suppliers and continually raising standards across our residences. I’m also always looking at how we can enhance the overall dining experience for our residents.
Ultimately, my role is about creating the culture, expertise and standards that enable our teams to consistently deliver exceptional food and dining experiences.
What attracted you to Loveday?
It was simple. Loveday’s approach to care is unique. There’s a real ambition here to take the standards you would expect from a luxury hotel or restaurant and bring them into the care environment. Food can have such a huge impact on someone’s quality of life, particularly as they get older. The opportunity to help shape that and challenge people’s expectations of what food in care can be, truly excites me.
What’s an accomplishment you’re really proud of?
I’m proud of how much we’ve developed the food offering across Loveday. It isn’t one individual dish or menu; it’s seeing the overall standard improve and watching the chefs and teams develop with it. We’ve put much more focus on seasonality, nutrition, presentation and consistency while still making sure that flavour comes first. Seeing food become such an important part of the Loveday experience is something I’m genuinely proud of.
How would you spend 30 minutes of free time?
Life can be quite busy, so if I had a spare half an hour, I’d simply spend it with my wife and two children. Quality time together is always time well spent.
What do you want people to know about a career in care?
There’s often a misconception that moving into care means stepping away from restaurants or high-end hospitality, but I’ve found the opposite.
As a chef in the care sector, you get to bring together everything you’ve learned about food and hospitality while making a genuine difference to people’s lives.
You’re not serving someone once and hoping they return; you’re building relationships with the people you cook for, understanding their preferences and discovering what brings them joy. That’s what makes the role so rewarding.
What is your motto or personal mantra?
Attention to detail in everything we do – because it’s often the smallest details that make the biggest difference.
