Windsor care home dines through the decades with special guest

Home news

Apr 27, 2021

Residents at a care home in Windsor welcomed a special guest for a trip down memory lane.

Care UK’s Mountbatten Grange, on Helston Lane, were joined virtually by BBC food historian, Dr Polly Russell, from Back in Time for… for a live interactive food tasting session designed to transport residents back to their younger years.

Partnering with Care UK for the Food for Thought initiative, which sees care homes across the country celebrate their favourite foods throughout the decades, Dr Polly has worked alongside Care UK chefs to create a unique reminiscence tasting menu. The menu features iconic foods from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and is designed to be used a sensory tool to encourage reminiscence in older people.

As part of the event, the home’s talented chef, Mohamed Taghouti, prepared an array of bitesize delights from the menu, including kedgeree, prawn cocktail and black forest gateau, for residents to enjoy while Dr Polly talked through each dish’s history and encouraged residents to share their associated memories with her and each other.

Dr Polly said: “I was delighted to partner with Care UK to create a reminiscence tasting menu, and I had a fantastic time chatting to residents about some of their favourite foods throughout the ages.

“There really is something incredibly special about the way food can evoke memories and emotions, and it was wonderful to see how everyone’s faces light up when they tried each dish. Just one flavour or smell can prompt a different memory and emotion for each individual, which is why a session like this can be so powerful.

Debbie Winwood, Home Manager at Mountbatten Grange, added: “Everyone had a wonderful time learning about each dish from our specially created menu, and reminiscing on their favourite memories of the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

“At a time when so many of us are longing to visit our favourite restaurant, we thought we’d treat residents at Mountbatten Grange to enjoy just that. With a seven-course tasting menu prepared by our highly-skilled head chef, and a bespoke interactive session led by a nationally acknowledged expert, the residents really were able to enjoy a fine dining experience like no other.

“Ironically, it turns out we’re probably the only restaurant in the area to be unaffected by current restrictions too!”

Mountbatten Grange has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite and palliative care. 

To find out more about Mountbatten Grange, call 0333 220 4064 or email Customer Relations Manager, Tracey Van-Zyl, at tracey.vanzyl@careuk.com

To find out more about Care UK’s partnership with Dr Polly Russell, and for more top tips on how you and your loved ones can get involved at home, visit careuk.com/food-for-thought

If you’re looking for more information about nutrition for older people, download our guide to ‘Eating as we age’ here: careuk.com/care-homes/eating-as-we-age