Food at Kernow House Care Home
At Kernow House our kitchen staff consists of a team of highly motivated chefs and kitchen assistants, who cook a delicious range of varied food. What's on the daily menu is a result of listening to what our residents say they would like to eat, so everyone's likes, dislikes and preferences are always listened to. If you would like something other than what's on the menu, our chefs will do their very best to deliver this. We source our fresh fruit, vegetables and meat locally and bake our own delicious cakes.
When there is an opportunity to celebrate a special event or a birthday, we cater for this with an imaginative range of food and cakes.
Some people have special dietary needs and we always deliver good quality and nutritious food suitable for each persons need. We also support our care and activity staff to cook and bake on the units when appropriate, so our residents can take part and enjoy the process, the smell and the final result. Please see our example menus below, to get a taste of what we offer.
Rachel Bateman
Rachel is our head chef and leads a team of chefs and kitchen assistants. She has lots of experience from her previous work cooking in cafes, restaurants, pubs and care homes. Rachel is very passionate about providing good home cooking and particularly enjoys baking. She has completed many training courses to learn a variety of catering skills and is able to provide nutritious meals for all dietary requirements.
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'.
