Care group runs cutlery-free dining development day

Chefs from Avery Healthcare took part in a programme focusing on cutlery-free dining.

Chefs from a provider's culinary and hospitality and dementia support teams held a development day to focus on cutlery-free cuisine.

Avery's teams held the event at supplier Bidfood's Slough headquarters. It was themed around eating without cutlery and focused on a programme developed by Simon Lawrence, Avery's head of culinary and hospitality, and Jo Crossland, head of dementia care. 

The initiative provides recipes, advice and tips and tricks to adapt every day meals into cutlery-free options. It aims to inspire and raise awareness of the importance of healthy, nutritional meals that are just as accessible as traditional dishes for residents who find using cutlery difficult.

Residents in care homes who have difficulty using conventional cutlery often require help to eat from others or are served ‘finger foods’ at mealtimes, often consisting of sandwiches, sausage rolls and similar buffet-style dishes.

Avery says reliance on these types of foods for main dietary intake increases the risk of undernourishment for an individual due to the typically lower nutritional content. It also increases the stigmatisation risk by highlighting a person’s disability when one resident is served different food to others at the same table.

Colleagues from around the country travelled to take part in the development day. Chefs produced an array of dishes, from stuffed eggs to spiced tortillas, small Yorkshire puddings stuffed with cottage pie or vegetable balti, rich potato cakes with mackerel and coriander, pulled pork and apple croquettes, polenta chips and a variety of arancini.

They also created a selection of desserts, including high-calorie brownies, choux buns, mini vanillas, cupcakes, banana cake and mini chocolate tarts. Following the launch of a cutlery-free recipe book’s first edition, the team is currently writing a second edition. The new edition will contain more cutlery-free inspired recipes and helpful hints and tips for culinary teams.


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