A TASTE OF LUXURY AT WIRRAL CARE HOME
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A TASTE OF LUXURY AT WIRRAL CARE HOME
An interview with The Hazelwell Care Home Chef , Steve Devenport .
Steve Devenport is the head chef at The Hazelwell Care Home in Heswall in the Wirral , Merseyside .
The home , offers residential , nursing , palliative and respite care which is tailored to individual requirements in a state-of-the-art , comfortable home-from-home environment .
The Hazelwell Care Home opened in the summer of 2016 and was built to an exceptionally high standard of interior design and finish , with beautiful en-suite bedrooms for every resident .
Steve was hired before the home opened and has always been passionate about food . Having travelled extensively throughout his career , he has worked with a diverse range of talented chefs and helped to develop some exciting recipes . With more than five years of experience working in care homes , Steve relishes nothing more than creating delicious meals for residents with a variety of nutritional needs .
The Hazelwell has a great reputation for the quality of its care and facilities – how did you come to work here ? I was thrilled when I was approached to work at The Hazelwell Care Home as it is the epitome of luxury living in a beautiful setting , and everything here is designed for comfort . I saw that my food can add to that in a real way .
There must be lots of different tastes and requirements amongst residents – how do you approach creating the menu ? One of my passions is trying every new ingredient I can get my hands on and so I aim to create a menu that has some seasonal foods in , and then add my own twist . I also carefully consider the nutritional balance of the meals including any dietary requirements and do so with great enthusiasm .
Do you change the menu with the seasons ? I feel it is really important to keep the food seasonal . Some foods are fresher at certain times of year and also tastes change with the season . In Autumn and Winter , we want warming , hearty foods , like rich soups and hot foods , and in summer we need lighter , fresher food .
I also like to mark occasions with food , not just Christmas lunch , but birthdays , celebrations , Easter , and even Bonfire Night . Changing our menu keeps us in touch with the season , and food plays an important role in evoking memories of certain times , which of course is key to many of our residents at The Hazelwell .
Are there any particular favourites you always see a big demand for ? There are certain meals that always prove popular such as our roasts on a Sunday which is such a well-worn British tradition . It ’ s a social time of gathering around the table and chatting with friends and family . The food is part of that ritual and it ’ s important it ’ s as delicious as it can be for residents .
What do you enjoy most about your work ? I love to make food for people that will make them happy . I really enjoy being part of the The Hazelwell team , bringing my experience , knowledge , passion and huge desire to this fantastic care home with amazingly caring staff and incredible facilities .
To find out more about The Hazelwell , call 0151 342 9654 or visit www . thehazelwell . com wirrallife . com 23