Behind the scenes at Heathlands Village Care Home

Over two days in January I had the pleasure of visiting Heathlands Village Care Home in Prestwich to work-shadow its large catering team and to present a cooking demo for residents in the purpose-built activity centre.

Situated in a leafy suburban area of the city, next to a golf course and historic moorland, the site is set in beautiful landscaped gardens. Run by The Fed, Heathlands Village is a large Jewish care home in Prestwich, Manchester and offers an array of onsite facilities such as The Central Café, sensory gardens, hairdressing salon, shop and medical suite.

I wanted to visit a Jewish care home in order to better understand the needs and dietary requirements of kosher dietary law, so Heathlands Village was more than happy to show me around and to explain how its kitchens work under the supervision of the Manchester Beth Din.

Their Sous Chef, Andrew Wolfenden, took the time to introduce me to the team and show me around the site. Because of the dietary laws, milk and meat cannot be prepared in the same area and milk products cannot be consumed within six hours of finishing a meat meal. So, for these reasons the home holds an impressive kitchen layout containing three separate kitchen areas; milky, meaty and neutral. Each section has its own separate cooking equipment and utensils, with a shomer (which literally translates as ‘guard’) checking food daily. Certain fruits and vegetables must be checked for insects meaning it can be a lengthy process, especially when checking vegetables such as leeks and cauliflower where insects can bury themselves into the leaves.



While being shown round the kitchen I came across a creative four-week meal planner containing a good variety of plant-based options such as Moroccan potato and chickpea stew, filled aubergine, vegetable hot pot, sweet potato strudel, mushroom carbonara plus more! Their onsite baker also creates fresh baked goods each day including a rich vegan chocolate cake that is sold in the onsite café to residents, their guests and staff.

I was also introduced to a number of Jewish dishes such as kugel, cauliflower strudel and vegetable schnitzel, all of which are made on the premises using fresh ingredients. The catering team also create a range of dysphagic dishes using a range of moulds that mimic the shape of regular food items. It was great to see such an array of fresh dishes and a varied selection of plant-based food on offer each day.

On the second day I presented a cooking demo in the activity centre for 12 residents, baking chocolate peanut butter cookies and a vegan Victoria sponge. The centre is used at least twice daily for a range of activity sessions such as music appreciation, singalongs, quizzes and arts and crafts, and also has a modern well-equipped kitchen. The demo was a relaxed affair, and at the end we came together to sit down with a cup of tea with the baked goods and have a chat about our favourite foods. Many residents spoke fondly of their love for baking, and most admitted to having a sweet tooth, so enjoyed the treats on offer!