Food at Bere Grove Care Home
It is essential that the people we support have access to healthy food at all times, so our fantastic catering team are always on hand to prepare tasty and nutritious cuisine. Our food is cooked to highest standard and with residents’ preferences always in mind. The importance of a balanced diet is never forgotten here, so we offer a varied menu that has something for everyone to enjoy, which you can sample below:
James Owen
I joined the Bere Grove team in July 2023. Having started my career as a pot wash at the tender age of Thirteen. I successfully worked my way up and became Senior Sous Chef at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay. From there I went on to Head Chef at Portsmouth University and Winchester College.
For me, the most rewarding part of my role is making people smile through food. We will be growing our own vegetables here at home taking them form garden to plate. Our residents will be a huge part of the process and it will be fun for everyone to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Dietary requirements
For residents who have difficulties swallowing, we modify the menu of the day so that the dishes are more palatable for them. To support our chefs in producing these dishes, our hospitality team and our Chef Academy organise theory and practical workshops. The chefs work with the chef trainer to prepare tasty, modified meals safely and according to IDDSI frame work. This encourages residents to eat and enjoy their food. All our chefs have been trained in IDDSI food descriptors.
Attracting top chefs
Our chefs are recruited on the basis of an interview with the regional hospitality support team and the manager of the home. Selection also involves a practical element, where potential chefs are asked to cook for and meet a panel of people living in the home. Chefs take their job extremely seriously and the annual Barchester Chef Competition sees our chefs battle it out in regional heats and then at a national final for the accolade of 'Barchester's Chef of the Year'.
