Food at Westergate House Care Home
Meet our Head Chef, Eric
My name is Eric and I am the Head Chef here at Westergate House.
Having worked in the hospitality industry for over 35 years, I can say that I am still passionate about my vocation. I especially enjoy planning menus catered around the residents’ favourite dishes, as well as trialling new and exciting dishes from around the world. I source and use fresh ingredients to prepare delicious, nutritionally balanced meals throughout the day for the various needs of the residents in our care.
The dining experience is such an important part of life here at Westergate, and my daily interactions with residents to know their preferences and to receive feedback is paramount to everything I do in order that I can provide a professional service to their satisfaction.
The celebration cakes we make for special occasions are always a big hit and for birthdays we make these according to their personal choice for that bespoke touch!
Life in the Westergate kitchen is fast paced, exciting and rewarding and I love being a part of the team here.
Food and Nutrition at our home
Our dishes here are constantly evolving, and take into account the desires of those we support, integrating seasonality into everything we prepare. Food and nutrition are at the heart of the home, so it is important that residents can enjoy a balanced diet that caters to individual dietary requirements. Whether people want to try something new and exciting, or just enjoy an old favourite, there is something for everyone on our menu. Please see below for more information:
Dietary requirements
For residents that have difficulties in swallowing we modify the menu of the day so that it is 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'.
