Food at Herne Place Care Home
Our menus are composed of only the best fresh produce and cooked to the highest quality, with aims for the natural aroma and taste to be retained as best as possible. A great deal of care is taken to accommodate all dietary requirements, and our meals are always prepared with the likes and dislikes of residents taken into consideration. We can guarantee that there is something for everyone on our menu, which you can view below:
Abbie Wimbush
Hi, my name is Abbie. I’m a dedicated and experienced chef with 15 years working within the catering industry. I began my career as a kitchen porter, steadily working my way up to becoming a chef. I earned my city & guilds professional cookery qualification at East Kent College.
With six years’ experience in a care home setting, I excel at developing personalised menus tailored to the specific requests of residents. I have a strong understanding of nutrition with the ability to craft meals that are both delicious and suitable for various health needs. This allows me to consistently deliver quality and enjoyable dining experiences. I also have a strong passion for baking and find great joy in creating birthday cakes that bring smiles to residents' faces.
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'.
