Witney care home residents team up with local nursery to bring back favourite recipes

A care home in Witney has teamed up with local nursery children and joined a nationwide campaign to save traditional recipes from being forgotten.  

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Millers Grange, on Curbridge 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 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 Witney for many years to come, residents from Millers Grange have rolled up their sleeves and donned their aprons, and teamed up with children from St Hugh of Lincoln Nursery School to show just how tasty their food favourites from the past are.  

Together, the residents and children shared their favourite foods, and whipped up a ‘Brum Special’ – a favourite recipe of one of the residents, consisting of Melted chocolate, rice krispies, butter, dates, raisins and demerara sugar – similar to crispy cakes, but with a twist.

Resident at Millers Grange, Eileen Oddy said: “This became a family recipe after a friend from Birmingham introduced it to my daughter while at school. It is an easy recipe to follow and was a treat I could make with my daughter for the whole family. My daughter suggested we nominate this recipe as she has fond memories of making it at home with me.”

Alison Parry, Home Manager at Millers Grange, said: “We’ve certainly been whipping up some fantastic treats here at Millers Grange as we headed to the kitchen to revisit residents’ food favourites from decades gone by.

“Regardless of age, food plays an important part in all of our lives, and there’s something special about the way the senses have the ability to evoke happy memories and emotions – which is why keeping old family recipes bubbling away and sharing them with younger generations is so important.

“It was fantastic to welcome children from St Hugh of Lincoln Nursery School for an afternoon spent cooking! Everyone had a great time talking about their favourite foods – and seeing the children try the ‘Brum Special’ was certainly the cherry on the cake!” 

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 

Millers Grange is a modern care home which provides full-time residential, dementia and end-of-life care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable its residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has its very own cinema and hair salon, and there is plenty of space both in and outdoors for relaxation and recreation.