Ella is Hero of the Month at Whittle Hall
Manuela Botez or Ella as we all know her, has been awarded Hero of the Month at Whittle Hall. Ella has been the kitchen supervisor at Whittle Hall since it first opened in 2017. The food she produces is outstanding and she now has a fantastic team in the kitchen working for her. On hearing the news Ella said that she was ‘surprised’, she had been nominated before but didn’t win, so this time round ‘It felt good to win’ she said.
Throughout the pandemic she has never been off work and she has actually strived to be more adventurous. She has worked with the activities team to enhance the quality of the resident’s lives, through special occasion celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries and other themed events besides their usual day to day mealtimes.
She went through a period of time just prior to the pandemic where she had a very young team working with her who didn’t pull together and as the pandemic progressed. Fearful that they might contract Covid 19, they abandoned their duties leaving without notice and leaving Ella to run the kitchen almost single handedly until additional help could be brought in. Ella had to put together a new team from scratch and although at the time it was extremely difficult for her, she got through it and brought everything back to the high standard that she, the management at Whittle Hall and L&M Healthcare expect.
Birthdays are magical and Ella along with her second chef do all they can to bring some magic into our resident’s birthdays through their birthday cakes. They are personalised for each resident and each one is truly outstanding. Ella will do anything her residents ask of her regarding food, making sure their individual needs and desires are met and she does this with good grace.
‘Ella has proved herself to be a real asset to the Whittle Hall team’. Said Deborah Payne home manager at Whittle Hall. ‘In a time where she was tested to the limit, she not only survived, she thrived, turning the entire dining experience at Whittle Hall around’.
‘Heroes come in many disguises and Whittle Hall’s very own Masterchef Ella is definitely one of them’ said Jeanne Davies, Managing Director. ‘ Good nutrition is key to a good quality of life, Ella not only provides good nutrition she does this with creative flair. To top this she manages her team and her budget exceptionally well. She is yet another one of our shining stars that I am immensely proud of’.
Outside of work Ella lives in nearby Old Hall, Warrington with her husband of 25 years and daughter Katarina who is 20 years old.
As well as a gift and certificate given by home manager Deborah, Ella also receives £100 worth of Amazon Vouchers from Head Office.