A chef from our Somerset Nursing Home, Frome, has won first prize in a competition to find the best care home cook.

Evolve Care Group ran the competition for the 6 care homes it supports across the south west and Wales. Each chef had to design and cook a meal which was appealing and nutritious. The meal also had to reflect the Evolve Model of Care, which puts the individual at the centre of every decision. This means that the choices should be shaped around the wishes of those living in the home, be it what to eat, and when to eat.

Ben Kerslake, the head chef at Frome Nursing Home, took the honours with a menu of Somerset faggots with boiled potatoes and brunoise of mixed seasonal vegetables followed by pudding with fresh cream.

Group Manager, Sian Harris helped judge the contest, in which competitors submitted a time and costing plan for their menu before serving up the finished dishes for a taste test. She said, “It was a close contest, but Ben’s menu tipped others to the post for its immaculate presentation and use of local ingredients. It was heartening to see that all our chefs had thought carefully about what those in our home like to eat and given a new twist to old classics.”

Ben, who has loved cooking for all his life, said his win was down to keeping things simple. “Local recipes like faggots may not be fashionable for everyone, but people still love to eat them and they are a favourite dish amongst those that live in the home.”

Frome Nursing Home supports up to 60 individuals with various nursing and residential needs and is currently recruiting nurses and care workers to join its award winning team. Frome Nursing Home currently also has room to expand its family.

For more details please contact us via email arrangingsupport@fromecarevillage.com or call 01373 468 020.