The importance of home-cooked meals
The importance of a well-balanced and nutritious menu for the well-being of our residents cannot be overstated. At the Bayswood Care Group our talented in-house chefs pride themselves on producing a varied and interesting menu for residents.
Every day the chefs cook nutritional meals from scratch, on site, in our well-equipped kitchens. Apart from the ‘Fish Friday lunches’ that residents insist on, no lunch or tea option is repeated week to week. The choice of dishes changes from day to day and week to week and are far too numerous to list in this article.
For example, beef dishes will appear once or twice a week on the menus at either lunch of teatime. These are just a few examples of our beef dishes: steak pie with buttered baby potatoes and seasonal vegetables; beef stroganoff with herb diced potatoes, carrots and broccoli; beef goulash with boiled potatoes and savoy cabbage; Meatballs in a tomato sauce; or a traditional slow roast beef with all the trimmings, which can appear mid-week, not just on Sundays.
As Lynne Sutcliffe, Kitchen Manager at the Alexandra Care Home explains, ‘There is no finite list of meals, because my fantastic team is constantly evolving the options. This includes delicious puddings, pastries and cakes that our residents love. We pride ourselves on variety, nutritional value and quality. Our home-made food is undoubtedly top restaurant quality.’’
Kerry Howell, Home Manager at the Alexandra, stresses the importance of the kitchen to the happiness and well-being of residents. ‘Balanced nutrition is vital to boost the immune system and keeps residents healthy. Our residents actually approve the weekly menu options in advance. This means they are invested in the food choices and will anticipate the days their favourites appear. Food is certainly a hot topic of conversation among both staff and residents.’
Lynne Sutcliffe agrees, saying, ‘We regularly receive compliments about our menus from staff, residents and family members. We have had family members thanking us for taking requests and making the effort to cook their relatives favourite dishes. Our chefs welcome feedback from both residents and family alike. Feedback is vital, because we also cater for special dietary needs, including diabetic, vegan, vegetarian and coeliac diets. It’s important we get it right.’
If you are reading this and in the process of looking for a suitable care home for yourself or a loved one, fill in an enquiry form we will welcome you in for a tour and to see our chefs in action.