care home menus

How Our Dining Experience Supports Resident Wellbeing

Here at Signature health and wellbeing is priority for all our residents. We make sure that everyone has a regular three meals a day and snacks, like crisps or fresh fruit, if a resident wants something in between meals. We always take great care to ensure that our food is prepared using the highest quality ingredients to ensure a well-balanced and nutritious diet for all our residents. Our aim is to offer variety in food which is nutritious, thoughtful and appetising. Good quality food with inspirational cuisine can be both a treat and healthy, so no residents will have to feel guilty or left out when enjoying our culinary offering.

Our food looks as amazing as it tastes

Plate presentation contributes to the appeal of a meal. It’s more appealing to any diner when the food looks tasty, colourful and fresh, so Signature chefs always make sure our dishes looking like the 5* meals they’ve prepared.

Can families make requests?

If you’re loved one likes/dislikes a certain food or flavour then you can let the Signature managers know, they will speak to the chefs to avoid serving their dislikes to your family member. If they like a particular food then they’re free to have more or place a request from the menu. Allergies are always taken seriously when ordering from the menu; once the managers and chefs have been informed of this allergy then the resident’s food will be prepared safely without the food or ingredient which may cause a reaction.

However, if someone is missing a homemade dish from their family, then there is always freedom for visitors to bring a plateful of what they’re missing to have for dinner; they can use their bedroom kitchenette to enjoy that something from home or bring it to the restaurant for dinner. Jane Devonshire, a MasterChef winner and food partner, has previously placed some input on healthy suggestions on what should be prepared to support our health standards and what’s best for different conditions. Signature works hard to make our meals compatible for everyone; this means researching best the sources and asking our chefs what may be popular in their home.

With the procurement system that we use, it allows us to input our menus, create recipes and have all nutritional and allergen information. This is key to delivering safe food, giving residents and visitors clear guidance on what’s in the food. The recipe function also allows us to adjust a recipe, for instance reduce the sugar or fat, to meet dietary requirements.
We are also constantly updating best practises and have always followed advice from the British Dietetic Association, Diabetes UK and S.A.L.T ( Speech and language therapists) especially for those with special dietary needs such as texture modification. Reducing sugar is also achieved using different products such as Splenda and other sugar replacements, not to forget natural sugars like honey, agar.

On every Signature home menu, there are a selection of soup starters, pescetarian, meat, vegetarian and vegan options for mains and a choice of two or three desserts similarly, for the dinner menu, a soup starter is available with the option between two light dinner meals and a filling dessert. On offer as part of the daily lunch menus are a comprehensive selection in all Signature homes’ restaurants. Different wines and drinks can accompany evening meals; if a loved one like glass of wine with their dinner then they’re welcome to request whatever drinks are on the menu.

All our menus are seasonal

We always consider new styles and new foods that can be added throughout the year, so the menus are arranged for the coming season. Whatever the time of year, we’re prepared for something new or a change in taste or trend. Whilst we fortify foods, there is a real desire and need to provide good fortification, not only using butter and cream, but healthier options such as beans, other natural ingredients and adding vital proteins where possible. Our menus feature a vegetarian option twice daily, as well as non-meat options on our light bite’s menu, served alongside every mealtime. Not only do we pride ourselves in offering vegetarian meals,, it’s important to use the best ingredients, seasonal produce, and dishes alike. We encourage chefs to think differently, forget the old idea of sponge and custard, we demonstrate to the chefs with dishes that have whole roasted fruit, poached pears, baked apples, and the same with the vegetarian main courses.