Avery Staff Take Part in Virtual Chef Forums

Organised by Avery’s Simon Lawrence, Head of Culinary and Hospitality, and Gareth Cartledge, Regional Culinary and Hospitality Manager, chefs, and culinary staff across the Avery group have been taking part in virtual chef forums. The workshops, which would typically take place in person, were distributed between regions and carried out via video call, the new norm for large meetings during Covid times.

Joined by catering specialists from the care sector, the sessions provided an opportunity for culinary teams to share ideas, discuss initiatives taking place across homes, and receive feedback and support with any ongoing challenges.

Panel of Experts

Joining the sessions too was subject matter expert, Jo Crossland, Avery’s Head of Dementia Care. Jo took the opportunity to discuss the importance of texture modified meals for residents living with dementia. Together with Simon and Gareth, Jo has developed Avery’s cutlery free dining initiative.

Zahid Khan, Avery’s Head of Well-being and Activities who reminded everyone of the importance of food and how it can affect a residents’ wellbeing.

Lisa Riley, Brand Manager at Unilever, joined the forums to promote the importance of the #FairKitchens movement and encourage the group to get involved via social media whilst Preston and James from Oak House Kitchen were able to collate feedback following the introduction of the dysphagia food courses participated in by Avery chefs at the start of the year.

With the workshops a resounding success, Simon said, “It’s wonderful to see everyone together and a special thanks for all your hard work over a difficult period. I look forward to catching up with everyone again soon, hopefully within Avery kitchens.”