West Sussex care home residents cook their favourite recipes

Two care homes in West Sussex have teamed up to join a nationwide campaign to save traditional recipes from being forgotten.  

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Mill View on Sunnyside Close and Skylark House on St Mark’s Lane, 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 save them. 

In a bid to prevent family recipes passed down through the 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 West Sussex for many years to come, residents rolled up their sleeves and donned their aprons in the kitchen at Skylark House, to show just how tasty their food favourites from the past are. On the day, residents cooked Victoria Sandwich cakes and shortbread biscuits, with the help of the home’s Head Chef. 

Commenting on the afternoon, resident, Audrey Simms, said: “I always cooked a Victoria sandwich for my family on Sundays so it was lovely to make one again and revisit those memories.”

Customer Relations Manager at Mill View and Skylark House, Beverly Jordan 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. Arctic rolls might be out of flavour 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

Skylark House and Mill View have been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The homes provide full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite and palliative care.