Let’s get ready to crumble: Horley care home bring back favourite recipes

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Amherst House, on Court Lodge Road, found almost two-thirds (65%) of the nation no longer use family recipes that have been handed down through the generations, however, 43% of people surveyed are keen to about save them.

In a bid to prevent family recipes passed down through generations from being lost forever, Care UK has launched a free downloadable recipe book – Recipes to Remember, which features recipes shared by care home residents across the UK. From food enjoyed during World War Two to quirky desserts from the 1970s, the book includes residents’ favourite foods, alongside recipes tailored to support older people by Care UK’s award-winning chefs.

Keen to keep their recipes bubbling away in Horley for many years to come, residents from Amherst House have rolled up their sleeves and donned their aprons, to team up with children from Carys’ nursery to show just how tasty their food favourites from the past are.

On the day, residents along with the children put their chef hats on for their ‘ready steady bake’ day. They made blue cheese scones using a resident's recipe.

Residents commented on the day: “It was a fun afternoon cooking with the children and teaching them how to bake.

“The children's engagement and energy made the experience even more enjoyable! Especially the mini chef hats! It’s important that we teach our youngsters how to make and bake things from scratch as there are too many ready-made things available now.”

Cristina Cristea, General Manager at Amherst House, said: “Spring is in the air – and so too are the smells of some incredibly tasty home-cooked recipes adored by residents and their families for generations.

“Just like a photograph, a family recipe can be a way to revisit the past and reminisce on a cherished memory or loved ones. How something tastes or smells can be a powerful tool for triggering memories and positive feelings, especially for those living with dementia, which is why we’re delighted to be taking part in Care UK’s Recipes to Remember campaign.

“From jam roly-poly to devilled eggs, it’s been wonderful seeing the residents revisit some of their favourite foods from across the decades with pupils from [insert school name]. Arctic rolls might be out of favour but it’s clear from how well the resident’s recipes were enjoyed that there’s still a hunger for foods from the past today – so donut give up on them!”

To find out more about Care UK’s Recipes to remember initiative or to download your copy of the recipe book, please visit: careuk.com/recipes-to-remember

Amherst House has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives in a luxury environment. The home provides full-time residential care, nursing care, dementia care and respite care.

To find out more about Amherst House, please call Customer Relations Manager, Terri Rowe on 01293 735820 or email [email protected]