Bromsgrove care home takes a trip down memory lane

Residents at a care home in Bromsgrove have taken a trip down memory lane as part of a nationwide initiative to save traditional recipes from being forgotten.

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Chandler Court, on Recreation Road, found almost two-thirds (65%) of the nation no longer use family recipes that have been handed down through the generations, however, 43% of people surveyed are keen to save them. 

In a bid to prevent family recipes passed down through generations from being lost forever, Care UK has launched a free downloadable recipe book – Recipes to remember, which features recipes shared by care home residents across the UK. From food enjoyed during World War Two to quirky desserts from the 1970s, the book includes residents’ favourite foods, alongside recipes tailored to support older people by Care UK’s award-winning chefs. 

As part of the initiative, Chandler Court’s Head Chef, Alex Millichamp, has added some of the residents’ food favorites from the past to the new menu, including resident Betty Daplyn’s, aged 89, lemon merengue cake, which she used to bake for her family. Alex and the culinary team have also added Bill Spencer’s, aged 93, eggs royale to the new menu, which his wife used to make him every Friday morning for breakfast.

Betty said: “Lemon merengue was a family favourite that we often had. It’s important to keep the memories alive – I love thinking back about my family and the good old days. I enjoyed trying my pudding the most.”

Tina Lilly, Home Manager at Chandler Court, said: “We’ve certainly been whipping up some treats here at Chandler Court as we headed to the kitchen to revisit residents’ food favourites from decades gone by.

“Regardless of age, food plays an important part in all of our lives, and there’s something special about the way the senses have the ability to evoke happy memories and emotions – which is why keeping old family recipes bubbling away is so important.

“Residents have certainly enjoyed re-discovering some of their favourite foods from the past and are delighted that they’re now part of Chandler Court’s new menu. Our chefs are thrilled to have put a smile on so many residents faces and helped bring back these wonderful dishes.”

Helping the chef’s decide which recipes to incorporate onto the new menu were pupils from Bromsgrove School, who joined the residents for an afternoon taster session. Collectively they voted that Bill’s eggs royale, Paul’s prawn cocktail and Betty’s lemon merengue cake deserved a place on the new spring menu. 

To find out more about Care UK’s Recipes to remember initiative or to download your copy of the recipe book, please visit: careuk.com/recipes-to-remember

Chandler Court is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable its residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has its very own cinema, café and hair salon, and there is plenty of space, both indoors and out, for relaxation and recreation.