From the kitchen to the boxing ring: this Norwich chef is on a winning streak

As well as being a valuable member of the team at Carleton House Care Home, Rylan Charlton is also making waves on the professional boxing scene, enjoying a seven-match unbeaten run.
It can be hard enough to strike a balance between work, exercise, hobbies and socialising at the best of times. But what about balancing two careers at once? That’s exactly what Norwich-based chef-turned-professional boxer Rylan Charlton has been doing for the past few years – and the hard work is now paying off, with his boxing career set to skyrocket after a successful debut live on Sky Sports in mid-October.
“I’ve been cheffing now for around 10 years,” says Rylan. “I’ve worked in some really nice restaurants during my career, as well as boxing on and off, but it was really difficult to balance working in restaurants and boxing. I used to work around 90 hours a week when I was cooking in restaurants, and the last thing you want to do after a shift is to then go training.”
This all changed when Rylan saw a job posting for a chef position at Carleton House Care Home. He knew that it would allow him to keep on doing the job he enjoyed, as well as giving him a bit more flexibility to train and pursue his boxing ambitions. Since joining the team at Carleton House, Rylan’s boxing career has gone from strength to strength, culminating in his very first live televised fight, which was broadcast on Sky Sports in October.
“I was the underdog in the fight against Joe Laws,” says Rylan. “But I actually ended up knocking him out in the third round. Since then, my career has just skyrocketed. The last six professional fights I’ve had just kind of felt like practice for this one. I really felt like I was where I was supposed to be.
“I’ve been boxing since I was about 14 years old, but I’ve always dipped in and out of it, as I haven’t been able to fully commit myself, but at this point in my career I have been able to find a bit more balance and invest the time to train and get to where I need to be.”
Despite the press attention he has received since his victorious fight, Rylan says that he is more than happy to keep working as a chef and living a "normal" life.
“I’m the kind of person who would just get so bored if I stopped working,” he says. “Plus, I really do have such a good time where I work – the team is good fun and so I’m lucky enough to say that I really enjoy what I do.”
Indeed, this happy atmosphere is something that the team prides itself on at Carleton House. As a small, family-run care home, the emphasis has always been on keeping people happy – both residents, families and staff alike – and in creating a home that really feels like a home, without the slightly clinical feel that larger facilities tend to have. A happy team makes for a happy home, and Carleton House is proud to count Rylan among its staff and wishes him every success in his boxing career.
Home owners Tony, Val and Ben Jourdan would most sincerely like to thank each and every member of staff at Carleton House for their unwavering dedication throughout the pandemic and the exceptional care they have continued to deliver to much-loved residents.