Food and Nutrition at our home
At the heart of our meals are fresh, seasonal ingredients that are bursting with flavour. Our food is cooked to the highest standard and we take great care to cater to the dietary requirements of everyone living here at the home. Residents may even discover a new favourite food or enjoy an old favourite prepared in a new and exciting way. We actively encourage loved ones to attend our mealtimes so that they can get a taste of what we offer. Please see below for more details:
Dietary requirements
For residents that have difficulties in swallowing we modify the menu of the day so that is it a soft, palatable dish. To support our chefs in producing these dishes, our hospitality and Chef Academy organises theory and practical workshops. Working in partnership with Nutricia, our practical workshops involve all chefs and deputy managers learning about dysphagia and producing these modified menus. The chefs work with the chef trainer to prepare fork mashable and thick puree meals to the correct consistency, taste and presentation. The deputy managers can then ensure all modified menus served are presented correctly for our residents.
Attracting top chefs
Our chefs are recruited on the basis of an interview with the regional hospitality support team and the manager for the home. Selection also involves a practical element where potential cooks are asked to cook for and meet a panel of people living in the home. Chefs take their job extremely seriously and our annual 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'.
