1. A CATERER WHO CARES
COULD THESE STATEMENTS RELATE TO YOUIR HOME?
Who cares who cooks?
Residents are ‘bored’ with their meals.
The catering team is in need of inspiration.
Could your team provide more?
Is your food budget sufficient?
Can you do more?
If the answer to one or more of the above questions is yes then contact;
‘The Caring Caterer’
WHAT DO I DO?
Consultation
Consult with residents and care staff to ask specific questions regarding meals and
meal times within the home. There choices would have been asked when they first
moved into the home but it is essential to have regular updates and renewal of menus
and meal choices
Involve the relatives
Ensuring the relatives are fully engaged with the menus and meal choices will help to
ease there worries. The residents relatives need to be invited to meals to accompany
there loved ones. They can then see for themselves the excellent service being
provided.
Look at Innovative ways to maintain your budget
By providing meals that residents actually want you could save up to 25% of the daily
food budget. This is achieved by minimising food wastage within the home.
Assessments
Regular assessments will be carried out to ensure that food is safe to eat this include;
Food Safety
Food safety is; Protection for customers against bad food. I can deliver
training up to Food Safety Level 2 which is the maximum your catering staff
require. In addition your carers will need a basic understanding of Food
Safety Level 1 will ensure that the residents will enjoy there meals safely.

2. HACCP
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is a regulation that requires all food
premises to operate a food safety management system. The complete analysis
covers the food journey from point of delivery to disposal of waste food. Each
stage requires specific record keeping and documentation of all the critical
points to ensure hazards are eliminated or reduced to a safe level.
Health & Safety
Health & Safety will help to ensure a safe working environment for all staff
and customers. Assistance will be given on equipment and kitchen safety.
Correct and regular maintenance of kitchen equipment will save money and
keep everyone safe
Food ordering / Stock control
Adequate food ordering systems will ease the burden of shopping and help to
eliminate over / under food ordering and ensuring systems are in place for
stock control
Food suppliers / Working with suppliers
Renew and monitoring of existing suppliers to ensure the food purchase is of
the best possible condition, delivered when required and best value.
Care Staff
Does your own staff have sufficient knowledge on the best way to?
Lay tables with correct crockery and cutlery
How to make a table look appealing
Serve the residents
Assist residents with the meals
What signs to look for if food is not good enough?
Challenging the chef
Meal times
The registered person in the home must ensure that the residents receive a varied,
appealing, wholesome and nutritious diet which is suited to individual requirements.
Meals should be offered at least three times a day. The timings of the meals need to
be at intervals of not more than five hours and snacks should always be available.
The ‘main’ meal of the day can be taken at midday or in the evening dependant of
residents choices.
Planning of the residents ‘meal’ day is essential to there well being and the ‘normal’
meal times may not suit all.
The main meal of the day for older people prior to moving into a care home or
hospital is more likely to be early evening. Why would this need to change?
Competitions
Assistance will be given to enable all staff and residents to take part in cooking
competitions within the home or groups of homes. This will help to encourage
residents and staff to look for and create enthusiasm for food and mealtimes.
Advice on Nutrition
Essential tools like “Eating well for older people” by The Caroline Walker Trust
assist with menu planning and offer guidance on specific nutrient requirements for
older people.

3. Specialist Diets
A lot of older people require specialists diets and these need to be identified by health
professionals. Regular reviews of these diets must be taken to ensure the older person
is receiving the required meals.
“Meals for Older People” by Patricia Perry
“Allergy Catering Manual” by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson
These books have been written with special diets in mind and may assist you within
the home. There are numerous books available to assist all home members.
Get the residents involved
Residents have been catering for themselves for numerous years prior to entering a
care home. They know their likes and dislikes so it makes sense to involve them in all
aspects of catering and cooking. Older people will enjoy activities based around
cooking and by seeking local events and marketing homes for excellence in catering
will enhance the appetite of the older person.
Examples can be seen in the quotes pages
Documentation
Purchasing policies and price lists
Approved suppliers should hold appropriate food safety systems which are
readily available. Sustainable and environmental procedures need to be taken
into consideration. Invoicing and payment arrangements should be arranged
to meet the needs of the homes. Delivery times are essential to the home and
procedures should be in place to ensure the homes requirements are met
Individual Requirements.
Constant monitoring and renewing of residents requirements will help to
ensure meals and meal times are an enjoyable experience for all the older
people and staff within the home.
Kitchen diaries
These are where the day to day events are recorded. The diary will enable the
catering function continue in the event of staff absence. Portion sizes,
specialist diets, special dates and recording of complaints / compliments
Comments and suggestions
All residents and staff should have access to and be encouraged to use this
area to help improve and monitor the catering in the home. They are
particularly useful when menus are being reviewed or rewritten.
Cookery books and recipes
Each resident will have a particular recipe or favourite cookery book. To
enable residents to have meals they enjoy a ‘home’ base book should be
created this will not only act as a ‘memory’ item but will also become the
chefs friend as they will be providing meals cooked in a way that the resident
remembers

4. ACTION PLANS
Action plans will be created after each visit / consultation to assist caterers, carers
and management with the implementation of policies and procedures to help enhance
the catering with ion the home.
The action Plans will be user friendly and designed to help all staff. They will be
monitored on a regular basis and updated as and when events dictate.
Specific and realistic timescales will be given to ensure that staff and residents daily
routines are not disrupted.