Evolve Care Group recently hosted their third catering training day at Nisbets National Catering Equipment Centre in Bristol, bringing together 20 catering team members from their care and nursing homes across Southwest England and Wales. With a festive focus on Christmas preparations and diabetic-friendly puddings, the event blended practical skill-building with idea-sharing. Tracy Grant, Evolve’s Operations Lead, highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer support in fostering collaboration and enhancing mealtime experiences across the Group.
Unconventional Sandwich Creations
The day began with a challenge to create sandwiches using unusual ingredients such as Brussels sprouts and red cabbage. Despite the unexpected pairing, the teams excelled, creating unique and delicious combinations. Tracy from Evolve Care Group commented, “You wouldn’t expect it, but the teams managed to make these ingredients really work together, they were delicious!”
Innovative Mince Pie Challenge
Teams took on the challenge of reinventing the traditional mince pie by coming up with unusual festive fillings and pastries. One standout creation was Stilton cheese paired with classic mincemeat! Looking back at the inventive combo, Tracy said, “You couldn’t even imagine Stilton in a mince pie as it is such a pungent cheese, but the blend of its bitterness with the sweetness of the mincemeat made a surprisingly lovely pie. I wanted to recreate it at home!”
Diabetic Puddings
With creativity in full swing the teams put their skills to work crafting diabetic-friendly puddings with the emphasis on using natural sweeteners. Natural sweeteners can provide a more familiar taste and minimal processing, offering a gentle, nutrient-rich alternative that may be better suited for elderly individuals sensitive to artificial additives.
The Christmas Cook-Off
The event wrapped up with a cook-off, judged by Juliet from Creed Foodservice and Evolve Care Group’s Tracy. The judges were impressed by the team’s bold flavours, inventive use of ingredients, and smart cooking practices.
Juliet Gardner who is Evolve’s representative for Creed Food Service, commented, “I would like to thank Tracy and the Evolve team for giving Creed Foodservice the opportunity to be part of these training days. We have worked with Tracy arranging days that are all to do with how to ensure foods are never being wasted, whilst also empowering team members to collaborate with their peers and learn something new every time. The Catering team have given so much to the days and embraced the opportunity to work together from different homes. They are fun and informative, and I look forward to planning workshops with Evolve for 2025.”
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Creed Foodservice Visit Creed Foodservice
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