Leni Wood, Nutrition and Wellness Manager, Nellsar Care Homes

Nellsar Care joined VfL’s UK List in August 2018, and recently upgraded its membership to Premium Accredited to take advantage of unlimited free access to VfL’s British Dietetic Association (BDA) accredited care caterer training. Its chefs and other staff are already taking the course, with one completing it the day after joining.

Leni Wood, Nutrition and Wellness Manager, said: “Nellsar have 13 care homes. Group Premium Membership has meant that each of our catering teams has access to BDA-approved training and I have a place to guide my teams to when they need guidance and advice when catering for the vegans or vegetarians in our homes.

“We have had a few of our chefs complete the training already and the feedback has been positive. They found that has added to their knowledge. One of our chefs found it a great and very interesting course to take, and really enjoyed it – there were a lot of things in it that they didn’t even know.

“Having a listing on VfL’s website is also a big plus point for me. As a matter of best practice, we advise our homes to provide vegetarian meals as standard on our menus. So being on the UK List helps people know that we are a vegan- and veggie-friendly care provider!

“We are entering into a new era where more and more people choose to eat a meat-free diet. We have more people with allergies and intolerances than ever before – so even if a person isn’t vegan they still may not be able to eat dairy.

“Equally a person may not be vegetarian, however they might choose not to eat meat every day from a health perspective.

“Being a Vegetarian for Life member means that you are prepared and already ahead of the curve. You have support and professional guidance from a robust and repeatable organisation, which is paramount when running a diverse care facility.”